Bitcoin Tax in Australia (2026)

Capital gains taxResearch in progressLast reviewed 2026-09-06

The full guide for this country is being researched

What is on this page now is verified against the sources listed below: the tax authority, the governing rule and the shape of the regime. Rates, exemptions and the reporting duty land here once our research is reviewed.

Read this before you rely on a figure

The ATO runs a crypto asset data-matching program that matches what you report in your tax return with data on crypto asset transactions and accounts from designated service providers, which it uses to identify buyers and sellers of crypto assets and quantify transactions.

You may pay tax when you dispose of bitcoin in Australia, because the ATO treats a disposal of a crypto asset as a capital gains tax (CGT) event. Its guidance lists the transactions that count as a disposal: selling a crypto asset, gifting it, trading, exchanging or swapping it for another crypto asset, converting it to Australian or foreign currency, and buying goods or services with it. Each of those can produce a capital gain or a capital loss, and if you make a capital gain you may pay tax on it. To work out the gain or loss you convert the value of the asset at acquisition and at disposal into Australian dollars; the ATO has used Reserve Bank of Australia exchange rates for this since 1 January 2020. The page fetched for this guide states no rate, no discount and no holding-period rule, so none is given here. Other rules may apply where crypto assets are used in business.

Regime: Capital gains tax
Tax authority: Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
Framework: ATO guidance: Crypto asset transactions (QC69948) (2026)
Reporting duty: The ATO says you need to keep crypto asset transaction records and matches what you report in your tax return against transaction and account data from designated service providers.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay tax if I only hold bitcoin in Australia?

The ATO says a CGT event happens when you dispose of your crypto asset. Its list of disposals covers selling, gifting, swapping for another crypto asset, converting to fiat currency and buying goods or services, so holding alone is not on that list.

Is swapping bitcoin for another crypto asset taxable in Australia?

Yes. The ATO lists trading, exchanging or swapping a crypto asset for another crypto asset as a disposal, and a disposal is a CGT event that can produce a capital gain or capital loss.

Is buying something with bitcoin a taxable event in Australia?

Yes. The ATO lists buying goods or services with a crypto asset as a disposal, so it is a CGT event on which you may make a capital gain or capital loss.

How do I value bitcoin in Australian dollars for CGT?

You convert the value of the crypto asset to Australian dollars when you acquire it and when you dispose of it. From 1 January 2020 the ATO has used Reserve Bank of Australia exchange rates, and for a currency the RBA does not list you may use any reasonable externally sourced rate.

Does the ATO know about my crypto transactions?

The ATO runs a crypto asset data-matching program that compares what you report in your tax return with transaction and account data from designated service providers. It also says you need to keep crypto asset transaction records.

Sources

Australian Taxation Office: Crypto asset transactions

The authority itself: Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Rules change with each budget; check the figure that matters to you there before you file.

Buying is the other question: how to buy bitcoin in Australia covers exchanges, payment methods and legality for residents. Running a crypto business here is a third one: Crypto License in Australia (2026).