Guide to capital gains tax 2010

This version is no longer current. Please follow this link to view the current version.

  • This document has changed over time. View its history.

About this guide

Guide to capital gains tax 2009-10

The Guide to capital gains tax 2009-10 explains how capital gains tax (CGT) works and will help you calculate your net capital gain or net capital loss for 2009-10 so you can meet your CGT obligations. There are worksheets at the back of the guide to help you do this.

This guide is not available in print or as a downloadable PDF (Portable Document Format) document.

Who should use this guide?

An individual, company, trust or superannuation fund can use this guide to work out their CGT obligations.

Individuals may prefer to use the shorter, simpler Personal investors guide to capital gains tax 2010 (NAT   4152) if, during 2009-10, they only:

  • sold some shares
  • sold some units in a managed fund, or
  • received a distribution of a capital gain from a managed fund.

A company, trust or superannuation fund that is required to complete and lodge a Capital gains tax (CGT) schedule 2010 (NAT   3423) (CGT schedule) should use the schedule included at the back of this guide. Part   C explains when a schedule must be lodged.

If you have a small business, you should get the publication Guide to capital gains tax concessions for small business (NAT   8384).

This guide does not deal fully with the CGT position of:

  • an individual or entity whose gains or losses are included as part of its income under other provisions of the tax law, for example from carrying on a business of share trading (see the fact sheet Carrying on a business of share trading )
  • an individual or entity that is not an Australian resident for tax purposes
  • a company that is the head company of a consolidated group. The rules that apply to members of a consolidated group modify the application of the CGT rules. For more information about the consolidation rules or if you have technical tax enquiries, visit our website .

Publications and services

To find out how to obtain a publication referred to in this guide, see Publications . For information about our other services, see More information .

ATO references:
NO NAT 4151

Guide to capital gains tax 2010
  Date: Version:
  1 July 2000 Original document
  1 July 2001 Updated document
  1 July 2002 Updated document
  1 July 2003 Updated document
  1 July 2004 Updated document
  1 July 2005 Updated document
  1 July 2006 Updated document
  1 July 2007 Updated document
  1 July 2008 Updated document
You are here 1 July 2009 Updated document
  1 July 2010 Updated document
  1 July 2011 Updated document
  1 July 2012 Updated document
  1 July 2013 Updated document
  1 July 2014 Updated document
  1 July 2015 Updated document
  1 July 2016 Updated document
  1 July 2017 Updated document
  1 July 2018 Updated document
  1 July 2019 Updated document
  1 July 2020 Updated document
  1 July 2021 Updated document
  1 July 2022 Updated document
  1 July 2023 Current document

Copyright notice

© Australian Taxation Office for the Commonwealth of Australia

You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute material on this website as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).