Tax-loss harvesting calculator (Australian crypto, EOFY 2026)
Estimate the tax saved by realising capital losses before 30 June 2026 to offset capital gains in the same financial year. Built for Australian individual taxpayers under the ATO's CGT framework. Loss-application, 50 percent CGT discount, and carryforward logic applied automatically.
Calculator
All values stay in your browser. Output recalculates instantly. URL updates so you can bookmark or share a specific scenario. AUD figures only. Australian individual taxpayer (not SMSF, not company).
- A$10,000.00 loss applied to gains (full offset)
- A$5,000.00 carryforward to 2026-2027
- A$0.00 net taxable gain (down from A$5,000.00)
How tax-loss harvesting works in Australia
The ATO treats most cryptocurrency as a CGT (capital gains tax) asset under ATO crypto guidance. When you dispose of crypto at a profit, the gain is added to your assessable income. When you dispose of it at a loss, you generate a capital loss available to offset other capital gains.
The mechanics are simple but the ordering matters:
- Realise the loss by disposing of an underwater position before 30 June 2026 (sale to AUD, swap to another crypto, gift, spend, or send to a wallet you do not control)
- Net the loss against capital gains realised in the same financial year
- Apply the 50 percent CGT discount to the net gain remaining (for individuals and trusts holding the asset more than 12 months)
- Carry forward any unused loss balance to future financial years (indefinitely, no expiry)
The ATO orders losses against non-discounted gains first, then against discounted gains. This sequence produces the most beneficial outcome for the taxpayer, because non-discounted gains are taxed at full rate while discounted gains are taxed on only half. Applying losses against the higher-taxed amounts first wastes less of the loss.
The calculator above simplifies by treating all gains as one cohort matching the holding-period status you select. For portfolios with mixed holdings, the actual ATO outcome equals or exceeds the calculator estimate.
Key ATO rules
Losses offset capital gains only, not ordinary income. A capital loss cannot reduce your salary, business profit, interest income, or other ordinary income. It can only reduce capital gains. If you have no capital gains in 2025-2026, the loss carries forward to a future year where you do.
Excess losses carry forward indefinitely. No time limit, no annual cap, no requirement to use a minimum amount each year. The carryforward balance applies automatically against future capital gains until exhausted.
The 50 percent CGT discount applies to the net gain. After losses are applied to gains, the remaining net gain qualifies for the 50 percent discount if held more than 12 months by an individual or trust. Companies do not qualify. SMSFs receive a one-third discount instead, taxed at 15 percent.
No US-style wash-sale rule. Australia does not have an automatic-disallowance rule that voids the loss if you repurchase within a defined window. However, the ATO has flagged scheme-like behaviour (selling and instantly repurchasing the same asset solely to crystallise a loss with no genuine change of economic position) as potentially captured by Part IVA general anti-avoidance provisions. See common mistakes below.
Crypto-to-crypto disposals count. Swapping ETH for SOL, USDC for AUDD, or LINK for an LP token is a disposal. If the disposal is at a loss versus your AUD cost base, it counts as a harvested loss. You do not need to convert to AUD to crystallise the loss.
Recordkeeping is five years. ATO record-keeping requirements apply to both gain and loss events. Keep date, AUD value, counterparty, fees, and purpose for each transaction. Retain for five years after lodgement of the return that includes the event (or until the carryforward loss is fully used, whichever is later).
Worked examples
Example 1: Partial offset, long-term gains
Sarah is a software engineer in Sydney earning $130,000 (37 percent marginal rate). Her 2025-2026 crypto activity:
- Realised AUD 30,000 in long-term capital gains (held 14 months)
- Currently sitting on AUD 18,000 of unrealised losses on three altcoin positions she no longer wants to hold
Without harvesting:
- Assessable gain = AUD 30,000 × 50% = AUD 15,000
- Tax owed = AUD 15,000 × 37% = AUD 5,550
With harvesting (sells the AUD 18,000 of losing positions before 30 June):
- Net gain = AUD 30,000 − AUD 18,000 = AUD 12,000
- Assessable = AUD 12,000 × 50% = AUD 6,000
- Tax owed = AUD 6,000 × 37% = AUD 2,220
Tax saved by harvesting = AUD 5,550 − AUD 2,220 = AUD 3,330.
Example 2: Full offset with carryforward
Mike is a part-time crypto trader in Melbourne earning $90,000 (32.5 percent marginal rate). His 2025-2026 activity:
- Realised AUD 8,000 in short-term capital gains (held 6 months, no discount)
- Currently sitting on AUD 25,000 of unrealised losses
Without harvesting:
- Assessable gain = AUD 8,000 (no discount)
- Tax owed = AUD 8,000 × 32.5% = AUD 2,600
With harvesting (sells AUD 25,000 of losing positions):
- Loss applied to gains = AUD 8,000 (full offset)
- Carryforward to 2026-2027 = AUD 17,000
- Net taxable gain this year = AUD 0
Tax saved this year = AUD 2,600. Plus AUD 17,000 of carryforward losses available for next year.
Example 3: No gains, harvesting still worth it
Priya has no realised gains in 2025-2026 but is sitting on AUD 12,000 of unrealised losses on positions she has decided to exit anyway. She expects substantial gains in 2026-2027 from a long-held BTC position she plans to sell at retirement.
Without harvesting (this year):
- No tax saving in 2025-2026 (no gains to offset)
With harvesting (this year):
- Realised loss = AUD 12,000
- Carryforward to 2026-2027 = AUD 12,000
Future-year impact: when Priya sells her BTC in 2026-2027 and realises (say) AUD 80,000 of long-term gains, the AUD 12,000 carryforward loss is applied first, then the 50 percent discount, then her marginal rate. At the same 37 percent marginal rate, the carryforward saves her approximately AUD 2,220 in 2026-2027 tax (12,000 × 50% discount × 37%). Even with no current-year gain, harvesting can be worth doing if you are already exiting the position.
Common mistakes (Part IVA risk)
Mistake 1: Sell and immediately repurchase the same crypto. This is the textbook scheme-like pattern the ATO has explicitly flagged under Part IVA. Selling 1 BTC at a loss on 29 June and buying 1 BTC back on 1 July is exactly the structure that draws ATO attention. The ATO does not need a US-style wash-sale rule to disallow these transactions; it has Part IVA. Pattern to avoid.
Mistake 2: Treating losses as ordinary deductions. Capital losses are not ordinary deductions. They cannot reduce salary, business income, or interest income. Self-classifying as a "trader" rather than an "investor" to claim losses against ordinary income is a common audit trigger; the ATO determines investor-vs-trader classification based on activity volume, intent, and several other tests, not on what you self-declare.
Mistake 3: Forgetting that swaps are disposals. Swapping ETH to SOL is a CGT event. If the ETH cost base exceeds the AUD value of the SOL received, you have realised a loss without converting to AUD. Conversely, swapping a profitable position to harvest the position's gain at a strategic time (e.g. in a low-income year) is a similar planning move on the other side.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Personal Use Asset rules. Crypto held with the intent of value appreciation is an investment, not a personal-use asset. The personal-use exemption is narrow (mainly applies to small holdings used to buy goods or services within a short timeframe of acquisition under AUD 10,000). Most retail crypto holdings do not qualify.
Mistake 5: Settling on 30 June. Australian tax timing follows settlement date in most cases. A sell order placed on 30 June that does not settle until 1 July is a 2026-2027 disposal, not 2025-2026. Plan harvest disposals at least a few business days before EOFY to avoid edge cases.
How to find your unrealised losses
The calculator above asks for total unrealised losses across the portfolio. To compute that figure accurately for a real portfolio, you need to:
- Know the AUD cost base of every position (purchase price + acquisition fees, FIFO ordered or specific-identification by lot)
- Know the current AUD value of every position
- Aggregate the (cost base − current value) figures across positions sitting on a loss
For one or two positions on a single exchange, a spreadsheet works. For multi-exchange, multi-chain, or DeFi portfolios, that math becomes intractable manually. Crypto tax software automates it: import your exchange CSVs and wallet histories, and the software flags positions sitting on unrealised losses with the AUD figures needed for harvest decisions.
The three Australian-relevant tools:
- Summ (formerly CryptoTaxCalculator): 3,500+ integrations, deepest DeFi coverage in the AU market, Sydney-built. Best for portfolios with multi-chain or NFT activity. Try Summ free (20% off via SatoshiMacro).
- Syla: cheapest entry-tier AU tax software, Brisbane-built, ATO-specific defaults. Best for portfolios concentrated on AUSTRAC-registered exchanges. Try Syla free (10% off via SatoshiMacro).
- Koinly: cheapest free tier (preview up to 10,000 transactions), broadest accountant familiarity. Best for testing full-year reconciliation before paying. Try Koinly free.
Full reviews: Summ · Syla · Koinly. Side-by-side comparison: Koinly vs Summ, Summ vs Syla.
Related calculators & pillars
- Crypto CGT calculator — calculate CGT on a single disposal under the ATO discount method
- SMSF crypto CGT calculator — SMSF tax rates with the one-third discount
- EOFY 2026 crypto tax checklist — complete 12-step pre-30-June action plan
- Crypto tax Australia 2026 (ATO guide) — CGT events, the 50% discount, DeFi, NFTs, SMSF, ATO data-matching
- All trading & tax calculators — full calculator hub
Frequently asked questions
Tax-loss harvesting is the practice of deliberately selling underwater investment positions before the end of the financial year (30 June) so the realised capital loss can offset capital gains realised in the same year. Australian individual taxpayers report capital gains and losses on their annual tax return. Realising a loss reduces taxable capital gains, which reduces tax owed. Excess losses (where total losses exceed total gains) carry forward indefinitely until used against future capital gains. Capital losses cannot offset ordinary income (salary, business income, interest).
Yes, when done genuinely. Selling an investment at a loss to crystallise the deductible capital loss is an ordinary, accepted practice under the Australian CGT regime. The ATO does not have a US-style 'wash sale rule' that automatically disallows the loss if you repurchase within a defined window. However, the ATO has flagged scheme-like behaviour (selling and immediately repurchasing the same asset solely to crystallise a loss with no genuine change of economic position) as potentially captured by the Part IVA general anti-avoidance provisions. The safe pattern is to harvest positions you no longer want to hold, or to switch to a different but correlated asset rather than repurchasing the identical position.
The disposal must settle on or before 30 June 2026. Most centralised exchanges settle spot trades T+0 (same day), so a sell order executed on 30 June 2026 typically counts in the 2025-2026 financial year. Self-custody disposals (sending crypto to another address you do not control, gifting, or spending) are dated by the on-chain confirmation. Plan harvest disposals at least a few days before 30 June to avoid edge cases (exchange downtime, unconfirmed transactions, year-end network congestion).
Yes. Under section 115 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, the 50 percent CGT discount applies to the NET capital gain after losses are applied (not to the gross gain before losses). The ATO method orders losses against non-discounted (short-term) gains first, then against discounted (long-term) gains, because that produces the most beneficial outcome for the taxpayer. The calculator above models the simpler case where all gains share the same holding-period status; for portfolios with mixed short-term and long-term gains, the actual ATO ordering produces equal-or-better outcomes than this calculator estimates.
Unused capital losses carry forward indefinitely under section 102-15 of the ITAA 1997. There is no time limit and no annual cap. The losses sit on your tax account and can be applied against capital gains in any future financial year until the balance is used up. Carryforward losses must still be reported on each annual tax return, and they are applied automatically by your tax software or registered tax agent. If you change tax-residency status, special rules may apply.
Yes, with the same general principles. The SMSF realises the capital loss when it disposes of the crypto, and the loss can offset capital gains realised by the SMSF in the same financial year. Excess losses carry forward within the fund. SMSF losses cannot offset gains realised by the individual member outside the fund (or vice versa). SMSF tax rates are 15 percent on capital gains in accumulation phase (or effectively 10 percent on long-term gains via the one-third discount), so the dollar value of harvesting in an SMSF is typically lower than in a high-marginal-rate personal account, but the principle is the same.
Standard ATO record-keeping for any CGT event applies: date of disposal, AUD value at disposal, AUD cost base (acquisition cost plus fees), counterparty (an exchange name or wallet address is sufficient), and any associated fees. Records must be kept for at least 5 years after lodgement of the return that includes the loss (or after the loss is fully used, whichever is later). Most Australian exchanges export this data as CSV. Crypto tax software like Summ, Syla, or Koinly aggregates across exchanges and applies the loss-harvesting math automatically when generating reports.
Maybe. Without realised gains in the current financial year, harvesting a loss produces no current-year tax saving - the loss simply moves to the carryforward balance. There are still reasons it can make sense: you may expect gains next year and want the loss balance ready, the position may have no realistic recovery prospects, or you may want a clean tax-account starting point. There is no rush though: an unrealised loss does not expire. The strongest case for harvesting is when you have realised gains in the same year and the harvest produces an immediate tax saving.
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