Crypto Tax Calculator Australia 2025-26 (CGT)

What this calculator works out

This tool estimates Australian crypto capital gains tax for FY 2025-26 using FIFO cost-basis matching across an arbitrary list of buys and sells. It applies the 50% CGT discount to long-held parcels (12+ months), runs prior-year losses against short-held gains first to preserve the discount, and taxes the net assessable gain at your marginal rate based on other taxable income.

It does not model staking rewards, mining, airdrops, DeFi LP positions or the personal-use asset exemption. Those need either a separate income calculation or a registered tax agent.

The formula and where the rates come from

The ATO treats most cryptocurrency held by individuals as a CGT asset — see the crypto asset investments overview. Each disposal is a CGT event, including:

• Sell to AUD on an exchange.
• Swap one crypto for another (e.g. ETH → BTC).
• Spend crypto on goods or services.
• Gift crypto to someone other than a spouse during a relationship breakdown.

Cost basis can be tracked using FIFO or specific identification. This calculator uses FIFO across buys sorted chronologically. Each disposal consumes the oldest unconsumed parcels until the disposal quantity is matched.

The 50% CGT discount applies when:

• The parcel matched against the disposal has been held for at least 12 months.
• The taxpayer is an Australian resident individual or eligible trust.
• No specific exclusion (e.g. foreign-resident gains accrued post-8 May 2012) applies.

Carry-forward capital losses from prior years are applied to the gross gain pool before the 50% discount runs. To preserve the discount benefit, this calculator applies losses to short-held gains first and then to long-held gains — aligned with how the ATO worksheet allocates losses.

The net discounted gain is added to your other taxable income and taxed at FY 2025-26 resident brackets (16% / 30% / 37% / 45%).

How to read the inputs

• Buys — every acquisition lot with date, quantity (positive) and AUD cost (including fees). Add as many as you need.
• Sells — every disposal with date, quantity, and AUD proceeds (net of fees). Sells are matched FIFO to the buy list.
• Prior-year capital losses — losses from earlier returns not yet used.
• Other taxable income — your salary plus other ordinary income, used to pick the marginal rate.
• Resident individual — switches the 50% discount on or off.

Worked examples

1. Two buys, one sell, FIFO long parcel. Buy 1 BTC at $40,000 in Jan 2023; buy 1 BTC at $50,000 in Jun 2024; sell 1 BTC for $80,000 in Feb 2025. FIFO matches the Jan 2023 buy → cost $40,000 → gain $40,000 → held > 12 months → long. Discounted gain = $20,000. With other income $80,000 (30% bracket), tax on gain ≈ $6,000 → effective rate ≈ 15% on the underlying $40,000 gain.

2. Short-held gain. Buy 1 BTC at $50,000 in Jun 2024; sell for $80,000 in Feb 2025 (8 months held). No discount applies. Full $30,000 gain enters assessable income. Tax at 30% bracket ≈ $9,000 — that is, the same dollar gain costs 50% more in tax than the long-held version.

3. Mixed long + short with prior losses. Two parcels: long $30,000 gain + short $15,000 gain. Prior losses $5,000. Losses apply to short first → short reduced to $10,000, long unchanged $30,000 → discounted gain = $10,000 + $15,000 = $25,000. Without the "short first" rule, applying losses to long would have reduced the discounted gain to $22,500 — keeping the discount on long is the better outcome.

4. Foreign resident sells long-held parcel. Discount blocked by post-8 May 2012 rules. Full $40,000 gain enters assessable income at non-resident rates with no $18,200 tax-free threshold.

Common pitfalls

• Forgetting that swaps are taxable. ETH → BTC is a disposal of ETH at AUD market value at the swap moment. Even with no AUD movement, there is a CGT event.
• Incomplete records. The ATO can default to an unfavourable cost-basis assumption when records are missing. Maintain dated CSV exports and on-chain records for at least 5 years from disposal.
• Treating staking and airdrops as CGT. Staking, mining and most airdrops are ordinary income at receipt, separate from the CGT pool. The receipt amount becomes the cost base for any later disposal.
• Confusing the personal-use exemption with everyday investment. The personal-use exemption applies only to small spending transactions where the crypto was acquired primarily to spend, not to hold for gain — it rarely applies to retail investors.
• Mixing up long and short within a single sell. A sell of 2 BTC where the FIFO match draws from one long lot and one short lot has both long and short components on a single line. This calculator splits them automatically.

Related calculators

• CGT 50% Discount Calculator (AU) — generic CGT discount calculator for property, shares and other assets.
• Salary Sacrifice Super Calculator — pre-tax super contribution modelling.
• SAPTO & LITO Tax Offset Calculator (AU) — offsets that may apply at retirement age.
• HECS-HELP Repayment Calculator (AU) — the gain may push your repayment income up a bracket.
• Negative Gearing Calculator (AU) — for property investors comparing crypto and property tax outcomes.

Sources:

• ATO — Crypto asset investments
• ATO — Transactions: acquiring and disposing of crypto assets
• ATO — Keeping records of crypto assets
• ATO — CGT discount
• ATO — Tax rates – Australian residents