By Tristan Lindner, Partner, Downing & Lindner Accountants

Cryptocurrency remains an area where many Australians unintentionally fall short of their tax obligations. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) treats cryptocurrency not as money, but as a form of property, which means certain tax principles apply.

For most individual investors, cryptocurrency is subject to capital gains tax (CGT).

A taxable event occurs whenever you dispose of crypto — not only when you convert it back to Australian dollars, but also when you trade one cryptocurrency for another, use it to purchase goods or services, or gift it to someone else.

The capital gain or loss is calculated by comparing the value of the crypto at the time of disposal with its…