Australia Imposes Crypto Tax Rules Under Existing Laws

Australia taxes cryptocurrencies under its existing income tax and capital gains tax rules rather than through a separate crypto tax regime.

Depending on the transaction, investors may owe capital gains tax, ordinary income tax, or both. For the 2025-26 income year, people who own crypto assets must report selling, trading, using, earning through staking, and using crypto in DeFi transactions.

The outcome of taxation will vary depending on the type of activity. Selling, swapping, spending, or gifting crypto can produce a capital gain or loss, while staking and some DeFi activities may create ordinary income.

Australia's Taxation Office considers investment cryptocurrency as a capital gains tax asset. CGT is not a separate tax; its rate depends on an individual’s marginal tax rate, and the investor simply includes net capital gain in assessable income.