Australia Crypto Tax Rates (2026)

What tax rate do I pay on my cryptocurrency in Australia? 

The tax rate you pay on your capital gains and ordinary income varies based on your income bracket. Here are Australia’s resident income tax rates for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 income years.

2025–26 tax rates (the return you lodge in 2026)

2026–27 tax rates (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027)

These rates don’t include the 2% Medicare levy, which most residents pay on top of their income tax. For 2025–26, singles pay no levy on taxable income of $28,011 or less. Between $28,011 and $35,013, they pay a reduced levy (higher thresholds apply to eligible seniors and pensioners).

The 15% rate is already legislated to fall to 14% from 1 July 2027, which makes the base amounts for the 30%, 37% and 45% brackets $3,752, $30,752 and $51,102.

Long-term capital gains: If you’re an Australian resident and hold crypto for at least 12 months before disposing of it, you can generally reduce your capital gain by 50% (the CGT discount). That means that only half of your capital gain will be considered taxable income. This applies to disposals before 1 July 2027. Gains that build up from 1 July 2027 get inflation indexation instead of the 50% discount, plus a 30% minimum tax for resident individuals.

Want to calculate your crypto tax bill? Check out our Australian crypto tax calculator.

What’s changing for crypto capital gains from 1 July 2027?

Australia’s 50% CGT discount ends for gains that build up from 1 July 2027. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026 (Act No. 49 of 2026) received Royal Assent on 26 June 2026, so this change is already law. Under the Act, the 50% discount applies to CGT events that happen before 1 July 2027.

For gains that build up from 1 July 2027, inflation indexation replaces the 50% discount. If you’re an Australian resident and have held the asset for at least 12 months, your cost base is adjusted for inflation. A 30% minimum tax also applies to these gains for resident individuals. If you receive means-tested income support, such as the Age Pension or JobSeeker, in the income year you realize the gain, the minimum tax doesn’t apply.

Gains built up to 30 June 2027 keep the discount. If you still hold crypto on 30 June 2027, the part of your gain that built up before 1 July 2027 is still taxed under the current rules, including the 50% discount. The new rules apply only to the gain after that date. The changes don’t apply to Tax Time 2026, so your 2025–26 return uses the current rules.

Do I pay the same tax rate on all of my income? 

It’s important to remember that you won’t pay the same flat tax rate on all of your income. Instead, you’ll pay the marginal tax rate based on each income tax threshold. 

For example, let’s imagine that you made $25,000 in income in a given financial year. Here’s how much tax you’ll pay on each individual portion of your income. 

What tax rates do traders pay on cryptocurrency? 

The vast majority of Australians who buy and sell crypto are considered investors. However, if you’re buying and selling cryptocurrency in what the ATO calls a ‘planned, organised and business-like manner’, you may be considered a trader. 

How are traders taxed?: If you’re considered a trader, you will pay the same tax rates on cryptocurrency outlined above. However, you will not be eligible for the capital gains discount for cryptocurrency disposed of after 12 months. 

Is there a tax advantage to being a trader?: A ‘trader’ can write off related expenses, such as internet service provider fees. Investors generally can’t deduct these running costs unless they relate to earning assessable income, such as staking rewards. 

The line between a trader and an investor can be fuzzy. If you’re unsure which category you fall into, check out the ATO’s guidelines on this topic.

How is cryptocurrency taxed in Australia? 

In Australia, cryptocurrency is subject to capital gains and ordinary income tax. 

Capital gains tax: When you dispose of cryptocurrency, you’ll incur capital gains or capital losses. Examples include selling your cryptocurrency, trading it for other digital assets, spending it on goods or services, or gifting it. 

Ordinary income tax: When you earn cryptocurrency, such as staking rewards or crypto paid to you for goods or services, you’ll recognize ordinary income equal to its market value when you receive it. Under the ATO’s current guidance and draft ruling TR 2026/D1, airdrops you receive as an investor generally aren’t income when you receive them. Instead, they’re subject to capital gains tax when you dispose of them.

The ATO’s personal use asset exemption is narrow. It can disregard a capital gain on crypto that cost less than $10,000 only if you acquired and used it mainly to buy items for personal use or consumption. Crypto you hold as an investment doesn’t qualify, whatever it cost.

The ATO also receives data from Australian crypto exchanges through its data-matching program, so it’s important to keep good records. For every transaction, keep the date, the value in Australian dollars at the time, what the transaction was for, and the wallet or exchange involved. Keep these records for at least five years.

For more information, check out our comprehensive guide to how cryptocurrency is taxed in Australia. 

How can I reduce my crypto tax rate?

There are strategies that can help you legally avoid your cryptocurrency taxes. For example, tax-loss selling — the practice of intentionally selling your cryptocurrency at a loss for tax purposes — can offset your capital gains and reduce your tax liability.

If you have a net capital loss for the year, it can be carried forward indefinitely to offset future capital gains (not your other income). 

Before you get started with tax-loss selling, it’s important to keep in mind the wash sale rule. The ATO can cancel a capital loss under its anti-avoidance rules (Part IVA) if you sell and buy back the same or a substantially similar asset to create a tax loss, known as a wash sale.

While the ATO does not specify a specific time period for when the wash sale rule applies, it’s important to remember that this rule is meant to discourage investors from selling assets and buying back in for the main purpose of claiming tax benefits. For more detail, check out the ATO’s wash sale ruling, TR 2008/1.

Lodge your cryptocurrency taxes today

Self-lodgers must lodge by 31 October (for 2025–26 returns, that’s Monday 2 November 2026, because 31 October 2026 falls on a Saturday). If you use a registered tax agent, you’ll generally have until 15 May 2027, as long as you engage them before 31 October.

Want to get started lodging your cryptocurrency taxes? Try CoinLedger — the #1 crypto tax software for Australia. More than 700,000 investors around the world use the platform to report their crypto taxes in minutes. 

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