Crypto CGT in Australia: when selling or swapping crypto can create a taxable gain
The biggest retail-investor mistake is assuming crypto tax only matters when cash lands in the bank. In the estimator, selling to AUD and swapping one token for another both count as disposal events that can create a capital gain or loss for 2025-26.
The plain-English answer
In this app, crypto CGT starts when you dispose of crypto. Selling for AUD is a disposal. Swapping BTC for ETH is also a disposal of BTC. The output reduces that activity into capital gains, capital losses, discountable gains, and the part that may flow into taxable income.
Why FIFO matters
When you sell or swap crypto, the estimator matches the disposal against the oldest remaining parcels you entered for that asset first. That means a BTC disposal in February 2026 is measured against your earliest tracked BTC parcels, not whichever parcel would produce the best tax result.
Swaps are still disposals even without AUD proceeds
Exchanging BTC for ETH is treated as a disposal of BTC at the AUD market value you enter, followed by a new ETH parcel created at that same value. If you do not know the AUD market value at the time of the swap, the CGT estimate will be weak even if the wallet activity itself is clear.
The 12-month discount rule still depends on parcel dates
If the disposed parcel was held for more than 12 months, gains from that parcel are marked as discount eligible and reduced by 50% after capital losses are applied. The app surfaces the discountable part of the gain separately so you can see how much of the result depends on long-held parcels.
Worked example
Suppose you buy BTC, hold it for over a year, then swap part of it into ETH. In this estimator, the BTC disposal may create a discount-eligible capital gain, while the acquired ETH becomes a fresh parcel with its own acquisition date and cost base. If you later sell that ETH, it is measured from the ETH parcel created on the swap date, not from the original BTC purchase date.
Where this guide stops
This is not a complete guide to every crypto tax issue. It does not attempt to cover every DeFi flow, NFT transaction, bridge, wrapped asset, or airdrop pattern. For this version, the relevant question is whether your event list is clean enough for a first CGT estimate in the app.
Frequently asked questions
Does a crypto-to-crypto swap trigger CGT in Australia in this estimator?
Yes. The outgoing asset is treated as a disposal at the AUD value entered, and the incoming asset becomes a new parcel.
How does the estimator decide whether a gain is discount eligible?
A gain is marked as discount eligible only when the disposed parcel has been held for more than 12 months before disposal.
What should I read next?
Read the staking guide if your tax year includes rewards, the losses guide if you sold at a loss, or the records guide if your source data is incomplete.
Tax Accuracy & Sources
General information about crypto tax in Australia for individual investors. Not tax advice.