Capital Gains Tax Calculator
Work out the tax on selling property, shares or crypto: the 50% CGT discount, losses carried forward, and the bracket the gain lands in on top of your income.
Stamp duty, legal and conveyancing fees, agent commission, capital improvements, and ownership costs you have not claimed as a deduction.
Salary, business profit and so on, after deductions.
Unused losses from earlier years, if any.
For an Australian resident individual selling one asset before 1 July 2027. Does not apply the main residence exemption or small business concessions.
Capital gains tax (2026-27)
Tax on this sale
Without the 12-month discount this sale would cost $40,550.00.
Capital gains tax changes from 1 July 2027
Announced in the 2026-27 Budget, and the ATO says the first stage is now law. For gains that accrue from 1 July 2027, resident individuals, trusts and partnerships lose the 50% discount and use cost base indexation instead, and individuals pay a minimum 30% tax on certain net capital gains. Some exemptions apply, including a choice to keep the current rules for new residential dwellings and affordable housing. Sales before 1 July 2027 are not affected. If you buy before and sell after, the gain up to 1 July 2027 keeps the current rules; the ATO is still developing how that value is worked out, so this calculator does not estimate it.
Source: ATO, Capital gains tax reform, published 13 October 2026.
Invoice the job and see exactly how much of it to put aside for tax.
Regulatory Notice:
Standard ATO estimates only; consult a professional before acting. For more details, see our Disclaimer.
How capital gains tax works
- Capital gain. What you sold it for, less its cost base. If the cost base is higher, you have a capital loss instead.
- Losses first. Capital losses from this year and earlier years come off your gains.
- Then the discount. If you are an Australian resident and owned the asset for at least 12 months before signing the sale contract, halve what is left.
- Add it to your income. The net capital gain goes into your taxable income and is taxed at your marginal rate, plus the Medicare levy. It also counts towards your HELP repayment income.
That is why the same gain is taxed differently for different people: it stacks on top of your other income, so it can push you into a higher bracket. See the brackets on the tax brackets page.
What goes in the cost base
The cost base is more than the purchase price. It also includes the incidental costs of buying and selling (stamp duty, legal and conveyancing fees, valuation and agent fees, advertising to find a buyer), ownership costs you could not claim as a deduction (such as rates, insurance or interest on a holiday home), capital improvements, and the costs of defending your title. Every dollar in the cost base is a dollar less gain.
Worked examples (2026-27)
- Investment property, $100,000 gain, $90,000 salary, owned 5 yearsNet capital gain $50,000 after the discount. Tax $16,350, or 16.4% of the gain.
- The same sale after 10 monthsNo discount, so the whole $100,000 is added to income. Tax $35,850, $19,500 more than waiting.
- How much CGT on a $500,000 gain, $120,000 salaryNet capital gain $250,000, most of it taxed at the top rate. Tax $110,850, or 22.2% of the gain.
- Shares, $20,000 gain, $60,000 salary, held over a yearNet capital gain $10,000. Tax $3,300.
Resident individual, no HELP debt, no earlier losses. Worked out by the same engine as the calculator above.
Frequently asked questions
How is capital gains tax worked out in Australia?
Take what you sold the asset for and subtract its cost base: what you paid plus the costs of buying, owning, improving and selling it. If that leaves a gain, take off any capital losses, then halve what is left if the 50% CGT discount applies. The result, your net capital gain, is added to your taxable income for the year and taxed at your normal rates, plus the Medicare levy. There is no separate CGT rate.
Do I get the 50% CGT discount?
As an Australian resident individual, yes, if you owned the asset for at least 12 months before the CGT event, which for a sale is generally the date you sign the contract, not settlement. The day you bought it and the day of the sale do not count. Companies get no discount, complying super funds get one third, and foreign residents lose the discount on gains made after 8 May 2012.
What can I include in the cost base?
The price you paid, plus incidental costs of buying and selling such as stamp duty, legal and conveyancing fees, valuation fees and agent commission, costs of owning the asset that you have not claimed as a tax deduction, and capital improvements. Keep the records: the ATO can ask you to show how you worked it out.
Can a capital loss reduce my income tax?
No. A capital loss can only reduce capital gains, this year or in a later year. It never reduces your salary or business income. Losses come off your gains before the 50% discount is applied, and anything unused carries forward with no time limit.
Is capital gains tax changing in 2027?
Yes. From 1 July 2027, gains that accrue from that date onward lose the 50% discount for resident individuals, trusts and partnerships and are worked out with cost base indexation instead, with a minimum 30% tax for individuals on certain net capital gains. The ATO says the first stage is law. Sales before 1 July 2027 are not affected. For an asset bought before and sold after that date, the gain up to 1 July 2027 keeps the current rules, and the ATO is still developing how that value is worked out.
Do I pay capital gains tax on my home?
Usually not. Your main residence is generally exempt, but the exemption can be partial if the home was rented out or used to earn income, or sits on more than two hectares. This calculator does not apply the main residence exemption, so use it for investment property, shares, crypto and other assets.