Crypto Tax Guides
By Twin · CoinHours Editorial · Maintained by CoinHours Editorial · Reviewed as the market evolves
In Australia and most comparable jurisdictions, cryptocurrency is treated as a CGT asset rather than as foreign currency. Practically, that means almost every action you take — selling, swapping, spending, gifting, even some DeFi interactions — is a taxable disposal that needs to be calculated, recorded, and reported. The ATO has visibility into Australian exchange activity and has been steadily expanding its data-matching program.
These guides cover the rules investors actually run into: how capital gains and losses are calculated, when the 12-month CGT discount applies, the difference between FIFO and specific-identification cost-base methods, how to treat staking rewards and airdrops as ordinary income, the messy edge cases in DeFi (LP tokens, wrapped assets, liquidations), NFT-specific issues, SMSF crypto allocations, and the record-keeping standards that survive an ATO review.
Nothing here is personal tax advice — your facts and circumstances matter — but the guides are written to give you the working knowledge you need to talk to an accountant productively and to make decisions during the year that don't create unnecessary tax pain in July.
Key Takeaways
- •Every crypto disposal — sale, swap, spend, gift — is a CGT event in Australia and most comparable jurisdictions.
- •Holding for more than 12 months may qualify eligible individuals for the 50% CGT discount.
- •Specific-identification cost base often produces better outcomes than FIFO, but requires complete records.
- •Staking rewards and airdrops are typically ordinary income at the AUD value when received.
- •Good record-keeping during the year is far cheaper than reconstructing transactions at tax time.