Hi everyone,
I wanted to ask if I can use a real estate agent's sales appraisal as the cost base for CGT of my investment property. Or does the valuation must have been done by an authorised valuer only please?
Thank You
There is no requirement for a market valuation report to be provided by a professional valuer.
It is the nature of the report that is important, not who provides it. Guidelines below. (also check the hyperlink "market valuation for tax purposes")
Market valuation of assets | Australian Taxation Office
Using a real estate valuation may or may not be acceptable. As stated from the link
"A valuation must be objective and supported with appropriate evidence"
While the ATO does not mandate that a market valuation be undertaken by a particular professional, it requires that the valuation be objective, evidence-based and undertaken using appropriate methodology. In practice, valuations prepared by suitably qualified valuers are preferred, as informal appraisals (such as those provided by real estate agents) may lack sufficient independence, documentation and methodological support to satisfy the Commissioner.
I wouldn't want to be using a real estate agent's valuation to defend myself in an audit. Remember as well, the cost of obtaining a valuation is tax deductible.
21 May 2026 · 4 min read time
15 Apr 2026 · 8 min read time
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