Capital Gains Tax Calculator
Selling shares, crypto or an investment property for more than you paid? Work out the capital gains tax for 2026–27, with the 50% discount for assets held 12 months or more.
Your capital gains tax
Capital gains tax, 2026–27
$1,600.00
16% of your $10,000.00 gain. You keep $8,400.00.
- Sale proceeds (less selling costs)
- $30,000.00
- Cost base (price plus buying costs)
- −$20,000.00
- Capital gain
- $10,000.00
- 50% CGT discount
- −$5,000.00
- Net capital gain added to your income
- $5,000.00
- Extra tax, Medicare levy and other charges
- $1,600.00
- The discount saves you
- $1,600.00
For Australian residents. The tax is the extra income tax, Medicare levy and any HECS-HELP the gain adds to your year; it is paid in your tax return, not when you sell.
Rates checked 12 October 2026 against the ATO · How we calculate · Calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How capital gains tax works
Capital gains tax isn’t a separate tax. Your capital gain is added to your taxable income for the year and taxed at your usual rates. The steps:
- Capital gain: what you sold it for, less selling costs, minus its cost base: what you paid plus costs such as brokerage, stamp duty and legal fees.
- Losses: take off any capital losses from this year or earlier years.
- Discount: if you owned the asset for at least 12 months, halve what is left.
- Tax: add the result to your taxable income.
On a $10,000 gain on shares, with a salary of $80,000, the tax is $1,600 if you held them for 12 months or more, and $3,200 if you didn’t. With $4,000 of earlier losses, it falls to $960.
Sources: ATO, How to calculate your CGT; CGT discount.
Tax on a $10,000 gain by income, 2026–27
| Other taxable income | Held 12 months or more | Held under 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| $45,000 | $1,560 | $3,235 |
| $80,000 | $1,600 | $3,200 |
| $135,000 | $1,880 | $3,830 |
| $200,000 | $2,350 | $4,700 |
Crypto
The ATO treats crypto held as an investment as a capital gains tax asset. Selling it, swapping it for another coin, or using it to buy something are all sales. Keep records of the date, the value in Australian dollars and the fees for every transaction. The ATO receives data from Australian exchanges (ATO).
Frequently asked questions
When do I pay capital gains tax?
Not when you sell. The net capital gain goes in your tax return for the financial year in which you signed the sale contract (or sold the shares or crypto), and the tax is worked out with the rest of your income.
Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my home?
Usually not. Your main residence is generally exempt. You may pay some if it was rented out, used to earn income, or sits on more than 2 hectares.
Can a capital loss reduce the tax on my salary?
No. A capital loss can only reduce capital gains, this year or in future years. Unused losses carry forward indefinitely, and they are taken off your gains before the 50% discount.
Do foreign residents get the CGT discount?
No. The 50% discount is for Australian residents. Foreign and temporary residents generally can’t claim it, except for any period they were Australian residents while owning the asset (ATO).