Crypto CGT Calculator
Calculate capital gains tax on your cryptocurrency sales in Australia, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets.
Note: Each crypto disposal is a separate CGT event. Staking rewards are income, not capital gains, and are not included here.
Crypto CGT in Australia — What You Need to Know
The ATO has been clear since 2014: cryptocurrency is a CGT asset, not currency. Every disposal of crypto — whether you sell for AUD, swap for another coin, or use it to buy goods — triggers a CGT event. Unlike most countries, Australia does not have a de minimis threshold, so even small transactions must be tracked.
What Counts as a Disposal?
- Selling crypto for AUD or another fiat currency
- Exchanging one cryptocurrency for another (e.g. BTC to ETH)
- Using crypto to purchase goods or services
- Gifting crypto to someone else
- Moving crypto to a DeFi protocol in exchange for tokens
Transfers between your own wallets are generally not disposals and do not trigger CGT — but you must be able to prove the wallets belong to you.
Cost Base and Transaction Fees
Your cost base for crypto includes the AUD amount paid to acquire the coins, plus any fees paid to the exchange or network (gas fees, transaction fees). All values must be expressed in AUD at the time of the transaction. Good crypto tax software (such as Koinly or CoinTracker) can automate this conversion.
The 50% CGT Discount
If you held the cryptocurrency for more than 12 months before selling, you qualify for the 50% CGT discount — exactly the same as for shares or property. Day traders who hold crypto for short periods do not get the discount, and their gains are taxed in full at the marginal rate.
Staking Rewards Are Income, Not Capital Gains
If you earn staking rewards, liquidity mining rewards, or interest from crypto lending, these are treated as ordinary income at the market value when received — not as capital gains. When you later sell these reward tokens, that disposal is a separate CGT event, with the cost base being the value you originally declared as income.