Frequently Asked Questions

No. CGT Strategist is a calculation engine, not your accountant, tax agent, or financial advisor. We crunch numbers, not your financial future.

Think of us like a very fancy calculator that uses the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) guidance for capital gains tax, including parcel identification methods like specific parcel selection and FIFO where applicable. We produce calculation reports based solely on the transaction data you provide.

The results are general in nature, don't consider your personal circumstances, and may not cover every tax scenario. You remain responsible for checking the accuracy of your data and for how your tax return is prepared and lodged.

If you're unsure how any CGT guidance applies to you, you should consult a registered tax professional or refer directly to the ATO's published guidance.

No. Evidence Packs are not ATO forms and are not tax returns. They are supporting calculation and record-keeping documents designed to show how capital gains were calculated based on your trade history and selected allocation methods.

They are intended to be reviewed by you and your tax professional and kept with your broker statements as part of your tax records.

We take security seriously. Your data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest. We use industry-standard authentication.

We don't sell identifiable trade data as detailed in Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

That said, no system is 100% secure. We recommend using a strong, unique password and not uploading anything you wouldn't want a determined hacker to potentially see (though we do our best to make their job as difficult as possible).

See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for the full legal details.

Great question. Here's the thing: tax law is complicated, your situation is unique, and we're software, not psychic.

CGT Strategist handles the mechanical calculations brilliantly. But it doesn't know about:

• Other income affecting your tax bracket
• Carried forward losses from previous years
• CGT events we don't track (like gifts, inheritances, or crypto staking)
• Special rules for specific asset types
• Your broader tax situation
• Whether that thing you called a "hobby trade" is actually a business

A registered tax professional sees your full picture. We just produce calculation reports based on the data you provide.

We follow the standard Australian CGT methodology as outlined in ATO guidance:

• Cost base = Purchase price + Buy fees (brokerage)
• Proceeds = Sale price - Sell fees (brokerage)
• Capital gain/loss = Proceeds - Cost base

For gains on assets held for more than 12 months, the 50% CGT discount is applied. We use calendar months, not 365 days, because that's what ATO guidance specifies.

The ATO allows certain taxpayers (individuals, trusts, and super funds) to apply a 50% discount to capital gains on assets held for at least 12 months. Our calculator applies this discount when calculating gains on eligible disposals.

The 12-month period is calculated using calendar months, not days. We exclude the acquisition date and include the disposal date, as per ATO guidance. For example, ATO guidance indicates that a purchase on 1 January 2024 typically qualifies for the discount on a disposal on or after 2 January 2025.

Note: The discount only applies to gains, not losses. Losses remain at full value (for offsetting against gains).

CGT Strategist supports three lot matching methods:

• FIFO (First In, First Out)

  The oldest parcels are matched to sales first. This is a commonly used method.

• LIFO (Last In, First Out)

  The newest parcels are matched to sales first.

• Specific Identification

  You choose exactly which parcels to sell. Maximum flexibility, but requires you to keep detailed records.

For transactions in foreign currencies, we convert to AUD using the monthly exchange rates published by the ATO. We match the transaction date to the appropriate month's rate.

If ATO rates aren't available for a particular month (e.g., future or very recent months), we'll flag this with an "FX estimate" warning so you know to verify the rate for accuracy.

You can view and manage FX rates in the FX Rates section under your profile menu.

We currently support CSV imports from Superhero, SelfWealth, NAB Trade, and other platforms using our custom CSV mapping feature. The custom mapper lets you define the column layout for any broker that exports transaction history as CSV.

If your broker isn't natively supported, you can create a custom mapping in the "Custom CSV Mappings" section. Once saved, all future imports from that platform will use your mapping.

Workspaces let you keep your data organised. You might use separate workspaces for:

• Different brokerage accounts
• Different tax entities (personal vs. company)
• Different financial years for comparison
• Testing "what if" scenarios before committing

Each workspace has its own imports, lots, disposals, and CGT calculations. You can switch between workspaces at any time.

The EOFY calculation pack is an Excel workbook containing everything you (or your accountant) need to understand your CGT position:

• Summary of total gains and losses
• Financial years overview
• All trades (buys and sells)
• Lot-by-lot breakdown
• Disposal details with matched lots
• Allocation records (which lots matched which sales)
• Realized gain calculations
• Original statement rows for calculation trail
• FX rates used for conversions

Getting started is easy:

1. Create an account - Sign up with your email
2. Download your trade history - Export a CSV from your broker (Superhero, SelfWealth, NAB Trade, or others)
3. Upload your CSV - We'll parse it and create your lots and disposals
4. Review disposals - Check the matching method for each sale and lock in your choices
5. Generate your pack - Download your EOFY calculation pack for your records or your accountant

Yes! You have full control over your data. In the Actions menu, you'll find options to:

• Clear all CGT data - Removes allocations and realized gains, but keeps your imported trades
• Remove all data - Nukes everything except your custom CSV mappings

You can also delete your entire account from the Profile page, which removes all your data permanently.