Budget 2026

CGT Calculator — old 50% discount vs new inflation method

See what the Federal Budget 2026 capital gains tax reforms cost you. Today's 50% discount on one side, the new inflation indexation method (with a 30% minimum tax) on the other. Coming 1 July 2027 for new investments.

$

What you bought it for, including stamp duty + acquisition costs

$

What you'd sell it for

10 years
2.00% ($20,000)

Agent fees, legal, conveyancing

Your marginal tax rate

FY25-26 ATO brackets: $19k-45k = 16%, $45k-135k = 30%, $135k-190k = 37%, $190k+ = 45%.

2.5%

2.5% is the RBA target band midpoint

You'd pay $55,200 more tax under the new rules — a 62% increase.

Today's rules

50% discount, until 30 Jun 2027

Nominal gain$480,000
Less 50% discount−$240,000
Taxable gain$240,000

Tax owed

$88,800

From 1 Jul 2027

Inflation method + 30% floor

Indexed cost base$640,042
Real gain$339,958
Marginal tax @ 37%$125,784
30% floor on nominal$144,000

Tax owed

$144,000

The 30% floor kicks in here — without it your new-rules tax bill would have been only $125,784.

Want to see how this affects your whole financial picture — your assets, super, retirement plan?

Try the full plan

Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for general information purposes only. Results may not be 100% accurate and should not be relied upon for financial decisions. Tax rules, rates, and thresholds change — always verify with the ATO, official government sources, or a qualified financial adviser, tax professional, or accountant. This is not financial advice.

What's actually changing?

Since 1999, individuals selling an asset they've held for at least 12 months have received a 50% CGT discount — only half the gain is added to taxable income, then taxed at the marginal rate.

From 1 July 2027, that discount is replaced with an inflation indexation method: the cost base is uplifted by inflation across the holding period, and only the “real” gain is taxed at the marginal rate. A 30% minimum tax on the nominal gain applies underneath as a floor — even if inflation indexation reduces the taxable real gain, the tax bill cannot fall below 30% of the original (nominal) gain.

The reform is intended to tax the real gain, not the inflation-driven part of it. In practice, for most current long-hold scenarios at 30%+ marginal rates, the new method produces a higher tax bill because the 30% floor binds before the indexation savings kick in.

Grandfathering — do these rules apply to my assets?

The new rules apply to gains arising after 1 July 2027 on assets acquired after 7:30pm AEST on 12 May 2026 (Budget night). Anything you owned before 12 May 2026 stays on today's 50% discount rules permanently.

Investors in new builds can choose either method. This calculator does not model the new-builds election.

The math behind the calculator

Nominal gain = Sale price − Purchase price − Selling costs.

Today's rules: if you held the asset for at least 12 months, taxable gain = nominal gain × 50%, then taxed at your marginal rate.

New rules (from 1 July 2027):

  • Indexed cost base = Purchase × (1 + inflation rate) ^ years held
  • Real gain = Sale − Indexed cost base − Selling costs
  • Marginal-rate tax = Real gain × your marginal rate
  • 30% floor = Nominal gain × 30%
  • Tax owed = the higher of the two

What this calculator does not include

  • Your other taxable income for the year (we use a flat marginal rate you pick)
  • Capital improvements added to the cost base after purchase
  • Partial-year ownership, deceased estate transfers, or CGT events other than disposal
  • Negative gearing changes (those reform the deductibility of holding losses, not CGT)
  • State-specific stamp duty refunds or first-home concessions

For a full picture of how a property sale flows through your tax, super, and retirement plan, try the JettWorth play mode — no sign-up required.

Important: this is not financial advice

JettWorth is an insights platform, not a licensed financial adviser. Numbers shown here are projections based on the assumptions you enter and the policy as announced — final legislation may differ. Always consult a qualified financial adviser, accountant, or tax professional before acting on what you see here.