Hong Kong capital gains tax: none, but trading profits are taxed
Hong Kong has no capital gains tax, so the tax on your investment gain is zero. Profits of a capital nature are excluded from profits tax, whatever the asset. What matters instead is whether your selling looks like trading, and shares carry stamp duty on the transaction, not the gain.
Verified as of 2026-09-17 against the Inland Revenue Department.
Current rules
Taxes on selling shares, crypto and property in Hong Kong
What you pay when you sell
| Asset | Tax on the gain |
|---|---|
| Shares and ETFs (long-term investment) | Nothing. Capital profits are excluded from profits tax |
| Crypto (long-term investment) | Nothing |
| Property | Nothing on the gain |
| Trading as a trade or business | Profits tax: 8.25% on the first HKD 2 million of profits, 15% above |
| Share transfer | Stamp duty 0.1% of consideration per side (buyer and seller) |
Salaries tax scale (context: employment income, not investment gains)
| Taxable income | Marginal rate |
|---|---|
| HK$0 – HK$50,000 | 2% |
| HK$50,000 – HK$100,000 | 6% |
| HK$100,000 – HK$150,000 | 10% |
| HK$150,000 – HK$200,000 | 14% |
| HK$200,000 and over | 17% |
Figures are from the official records retrieved 2026-09-17; each table links back to the authority page above.
Questions
Hong Kong capital gains tax questions
Does Hong Kong have a capital gains tax?
No. Profits of a capital nature are excluded from profits tax, so a long-term investment gain on shares, crypto or property is not taxed, however large. Hong Kong also has no VAT, GST or estate duty.
When would my gains be taxed?
When they look like trading. The IRD applies the badges of trade: frequent similar transactions, short holding periods, borrowing to finance positions, and profit-seeking intent. Systematic, frequent selling reads as a trade or business, and its profits are taxed under profits tax at 8.25% on the first HKD 2 million and 15% above. Long-term investing does not cross that line.
What does selling shares cost?
Stamp duty of 0.1% of the consideration, paid by each side, buyer and seller. That is a transaction tax on the trade value, not the gain, so it applies equally to losing trades.
Is crypto taxed in Hong Kong?
Not as a capital gain. Holding crypto as a long-term investment and disposing of it is not taxed. Trading crypto as a business, or receiving it as payment, creates taxable profits instead.
What exactly does the IRD say about investment gains?
Hong Kong does not charge capital gains tax: profits of a capital nature are excluded from profits tax, whether from shares, crypto or property. IRD: https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/bus_pft.htm
How does the IRD decide a gain is really trading?
The 'badges of trade' test decides the line: disposals that look like trading (frequent, short holding, financing, similar past transactions) can be taxed as trading profits at profits-tax rates, while long-term investment gains are not taxed.
What stamp duties apply to shares and property?
Share transfers pay stamp duty of 0.1% of consideration per side (buyer and seller); property pays ad valorem stamp duties on the transaction, not the gain. FSTB: https://www.fstb.gov.hk/en/treasury/general/prevailing-tax-policy.htm
Is there a VAT or estate duty?
There is no VAT or GST, and no inheritance or estate duty.