How to Value Your Card Collection for Tax (Before July 2027)
If collectables are drawn into the CGT net at the 2027 reset, you'll want a documented market value of your cards at the transition date. Here's how to build one.
Last updated 24 June 2026 · This page tracks the proposed legislation as it progresses.
Why a transition-date valuation matters
Under the proposed 2027 changes, if collectables are drawn into the net and a market valuation method is available at the reset — which the Government flagged — your cards’ market value as at the transition date would set your new cost base. Without a documented value, you could be left trying to prove, years later, what a card was worth in mid-2027.
What counts as evidence
In general terms, useful evidence is a dated, itemised valuation tied to a credible market source:
- Recent comparable sales of the same card and grade
- Recognised price guides such as PriceCharting
- PSA grade and population context for graded cards
- A clear date and source against every figure
An honest caveat
A snapshot like this is sensible record-keeping, not a guaranteed ATO-accepted figure — the ATO has not released valuation guidance. But a contemporaneous, source-backed record made now beats a reconstruction years later.
How to do it, card by card
For each card worth recording, capture:
- Acquisition cost in AUD (including any FX conversion)
- Current market value, with the source and the date
- Grade and identifying details (set, number, cert)
- A running total for the collection
Make it one button
MyCardTracker already stores your cost base, PSA/PriceCharting values and per-card value history — the building blocks of exactly this record. A dated, exportable valuation snapshot of your whole collection is on the way, designed for the 2027 transition date. In the meantime, keep your records tidy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to value my collection before July 2027?
There is no confirmed requirement yet — the changes are proposed and the ATO hasn't issued valuation guidance. But because a market valuation method was flagged for the 2027 reset, having a dated, source-backed valuation on file is sensible preparation.
What is acceptable evidence of a card’s value?
Generally, a dated valuation tied to a credible market source — recent comparable sales, recognised price guides, and grade/population context for graded cards. The more contemporaneous and itemised it is, the stronger it is. A registered tax agent can advise on your situation.
Does MyCardTracker produce a valuation report?
MyCardTracker tracks cost base, current market values and value history per card today. A one-click, dated valuation snapshot of your whole collection — built for the 2027 transition date — is in development.
Keep reading
Track your collection the tax-smart way
Record cost base, hold periods and values as you go — so tax time, and the 2027 transition, are already handled.