Capital Gains Tax Changes Take Effect 1 July

Property owners are seeking valuations ahead of changes to capital gains tax rules that apply to properties acquired after 12 May 2026.

Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Residential

Capital Gains Tax Changes Take Effect 1 July

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Do you expect the new capital gains tax changes to leave you worse off?

Capital gains tax changes take effect on 1 July, with gains made before that date receiving a 50 per cent tax discount. Gains made after 1 July face cost indexation and a minimum 30 per cent tax rate.

Why it matters

The changes apply only to properties acquired after the announcement on 12 May 2026, so owners are weighing what their property was worth on key dates. Searches for "how much is my home worth" rose 250 per cent compared with a year earlier.

Searches for "how much is my home worth" rose 250 per cent compared with a year ago, a sign that owners are seeking valuations. Whether a given property's value will shift before 1 July remains unknown.

The details

Property owners obtain valuations to establish what a property was worth on a particular date, which determines how gains are taxed. A valuer assesses independent market value using recent comparable sales nearby, along with factors such as condition, location and improvements.

12 May 2026: Announcement of the capital gains tax changes.
1 July 2026: Capital gains tax changes take effect.

Roadmap

The capital gains tax changes announced on 12 May 2026 split property gains at 1 July, with earlier gains taxed under a 50 per cent discount and later gains under cost indexation. Owners holding property through the transition must document values on both sides of that date.

Owners considering a valuation should decide whether to obtain one before 1 July to establish a value at a known date. Anyone who buys property after the 12 May 2026 announcement should understand that the new rules apply to that purchase.

The takeaway

Property owners who hold through 1 July should keep clear records of valuations taken before and after the changes, since the tax treatment of any gain depends on when it arose. Seeking a valuation early can make those records easier to establish.

What happens next

The capital gains tax changes take effect on 1 July 2026, when gains made after that date begin to face cost indexation and a minimum 30 per cent tax rate.