Crypto tax in Australia
This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Verify the current rules with a qualified local professional and the official regulator before acting.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) treats crypto as a capital gains tax asset as of January 2026. Selling, swapping, gifting, or spending crypto is generally a capital gains tax event, and individuals who hold for more than 12 months can usually claim a 50 percent discount. Staking rewards are generally taxed as ordinary income when received.
The rules in detail
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) treats crypto as property and as an asset for capital gains tax (CGT) purposes as of January 2026. This covers coins, tokens, NFTs, and stablecoins. How any given transaction is taxed depends on whether you hold crypto as an investor or carry on a business, and on what you do with it.
Capital gains tax
For an investor, disposing of crypto is generally a CGT event. Disposal includes selling crypto for Australian dollars, swapping one crypto asset for another, gifting crypto, and using crypto to pay for goods or services. The capital gain is broadly the proceeds minus the cost base. Where an individual has held the asset for more than 12 months before disposal, a CGT discount of 50 percent generally applies to the gain, so half of it is taxed at your marginal rate. Capital losses can be used against capital gains. This position is current to June 2026.
Income rather than capital
Some receipts are ordinary income rather than capital. Staking rewards, and similar rewards, are generally treated as ordinary income at their market value in Australian dollars when you receive them, and that value becomes the cost base for any later disposal. Where crypto activity amounts to a business, such as professional trading, profits can be taxed as business income rather than under the CGT rules. The line between investing and carrying on a business depends on your facts.
Personal use asset exemption
A narrow personal use asset exemption can apply where crypto costing less than 10,000 Australian dollars is acquired and used within a short period to buy personal goods or services. It does not apply to crypto held as an investment or used to make a profit, so most holdings do not qualify. As of January 2026 the ATO position on this exemption is unchanged.
Records and a note on future changes
The ATO requires you to keep records of your crypto transactions for five years, including dates, Australian dollar values, the nature of each transaction, and counterparties. Many exchanges provide transaction reports formatted for the ATO.
A budget measure to change the long term capital gains discount has been reported for a future income year, which would alter how long held gains are taxed. Because that is a forward looking proposal rather than the current law, treat it as something to monitor and confirm the position for your tax year. This is general information, not tax advice. Verify your treatment with a registered tax agent before filing.
How to act legally in Australia
Buying and selling on an AUSTRAC registered exchange makes record keeping and tax reporting much simpler, because registered platforms typically supply clear transaction histories. Several registered platforms serve Australian residents as of January 2026.
Compare exchanges available to Australia users
Platforms that operate for Australia residents include Coinbase, Kraken, Swyftx, CoinJar, Independent Reserve. See the registered options side by side, then verify the current position with the platform and the regulator before you sign up.
Compare available exchangesRegulator and sources
- Australian Taxation Office (ATO) crypto asset investments, capital gains tax guidance, and record keeping rules, current to June 2026.
- Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) registration of the exchanges used to buy and sell.
Frequently asked questions
How is crypto taxed in Australia?
The ATO treats crypto as a capital gains tax asset as of January 2026. Disposing of crypto is generally a capital gains tax event, while staking rewards and similar receipts are usually ordinary income. This is not tax advice, so verify before filing.
Is there a capital gains tax discount on crypto?
Yes, for individuals. Where you hold a crypto asset for more than 12 months before disposal, a capital gains tax discount of 50 percent generally applies to the gain, current to June 2026.
Do I pay tax when I swap one crypto for another?
Generally yes. Swapping one crypto asset for another is a disposal and a capital gains tax event under ATO rules as of January 2026, even though no Australian dollars change hands. This is not tax advice, so verify before filing.
Are staking rewards taxable in Australia?
Generally yes. Staking rewards are usually ordinary income at their market value in Australian dollars when received, and that value becomes the cost base for a later disposal, per ATO guidance current to June 2026.
How long must I keep crypto tax records?
The ATO requires you to keep crypto transaction records for five years, including dates, Australian dollar values, and the nature of each transaction, as of January 2026.
Does the personal use asset exemption help most users?
Usually not. It is narrow, applying only where crypto under 10,000 Australian dollars is used to buy personal goods or services, and never to investment holdings. Most holdings do not qualify as of January 2026.
Related pages
Risk and change note: crypto rules change frequently and can shift with little notice. The positions above carry an as of date and were last reviewed on June 21, 2026. Confirm the current rules with the named regulator and a qualified local professional before you act.
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