🌏 Asia-Pacific
Crypto & taxes in Australia
- Crypto capital gains (individuals)
- Subject to CGT (CGT asset)
- Holding discount
- 50% CGT discount if held over 12 months
- Future reform
- From Jul 2027 discount replaced by inflation-indexed model
- Regulator
- ASIC + ATO
Crypto regulation
In Australia crypto is treated mainly as a Capital Gains Tax asset by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), while the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) oversees products and intermediaries falling within financial regulation. In 2026 the ATO stepped up scrutiny of token swaps, staking and DeFi.
Taxation
For residents, crypto gains are subject to Capital Gains Tax: every sale, exchange or swap is a "CGT event". If the asset is held for at least 12 months before the event, a 50% CGT discount applies to the gain, which is added to income and taxed at the marginal rate. From July 2027 the 50% discount will be replaced by an inflation-indexed mechanism for assets acquired from that date.
Useful information
Residents can significantly cut the tax bill by holding crypto for over 12 months (50% discount), bearing in mind the period resets if you sell and rebuy the same asset within 12 months. Every transaction, including token-to-token swaps, must be tracked because the ATO data-matches with exchanges.