Taxes · 🇦🇺 Australia
Crypto and tokenized asset taxes in Australia
Crypto is a CGT asset: gains are added to income at marginal rates with a 50% discount after 12 months, but from 1 July 2027 the discount is replaced by indexation and a 30% minimum tax.
Crypto
Gains
Marginal rate (0–45% + 2% Medicare levy); 50% discount after 12 months for gains accrued to 30 June 2027
Holding period
12 months for the 50% discount. Under the Tax Reform No. 1 Act 2026 (royal assent 26 June 2026), gains accruing from 1 July 2027 get cost-base indexation instead, with a 30% minimum tax on capital gains.
Tax-free allowance
No CGT allowance; the general tax-free threshold applies to total income. Personal-use asset exemption rarely applies to crypto.
Losses
Capital losses offset capital gains only and carry forward indefinitely; new loss ordering rules start 1 July 2027.
Also
Crypto-to-crypto swaps are disposals. Wrapping a token (e.g. ETH to WETH) is a CGT event under draft TD 2026/D2 (19 August 2026).
Income and tokenized assets
Staking, lending, yield
Staking rewards and DeFi interest are ordinary income at market value when received. Airdrops: under draft TR 2026/D1 (19 August 2026) airdrops to non-traders are not taxed on receipt; their market value becomes the cost base. Earlier ATO guidance treated established-token airdrops as income on receipt.
Tokenized stocks, bonds, funds
No specific guidance. Tokenized shares, ETF units and bonds are CGT assets like any other; whether dividends or coupons are franked or foreign income depends on the legal form (direct share vs. tracker certificate or derivative). Tracker certificates are generally taxed as the certificate, not as the underlying share.
Tokenized gold
No specific guidance; gold tokens are CGT assets, so the same marginal-rate and discount rules apply.
Filing
Tax year
1 July – 30 June; return due 31 October (self-lodgers)
Reporting
Report capital gains and crypto income in the annual return. The ATO runs data matching with Australian exchanges. CARF reporting by platforms is announced for 1 July 2027 but was not yet law as of mid-October 2026. Foreign income and gains must be declared.
Tax authority
Watch out
- Disposals before 1 July 2027 still get the 50% discount; later gains are split between the old and new rules.
- Wrapping, bridging and swapping can each trigger CGT.
- Airdrop and wrapping rulings are drafts; final versions may differ.
- Keep records of every acquisition date and AUD value.
Sources
- ATO: crypto asset investments · ato.gov.au
- KPMG: ATO draft guidance on cryptoassets (TR 2026/D1, TD 2026/D2) · kpmg.com
- KPMG: CGT legislation passes Parliament · kpmg.com
- Accountants Daily: CGT changes clear Parliament · accountantsdaily.com.au
- Mallesons: CGT amendments and minimum tax · mallesons.com
- Crypto Briefing: CARF July 2027 · cryptobriefing.com
Not confirmed
- ATO crypto page returned 403; staking-as-income taken from prior ATO guidance and secondary sources.
- How the 1 July 2027 split (valuation at that date) works for crypto in detail.
- Tax treatment of tokenized securities and tracker certificates: no ATO guidance.
- Correction to existing summary: the 50% discount is legislated to end for gains accruing from 1 July 2027 (indexation + 30% minimum tax); airdrop treatment is changing under draft TR 2026/D1.
Researched 2026-11-01 for private individuals resident in Australia. Information, not tax advice — rules change; check the tax authority before you file.