Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Capital gains tax (CGT) collection from share transactions fell by a whopping 36.46% in the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared with the same period of the previous fiscal year.
According to the CDSC & Clearing Ltd, total CGT collections dropped to Rs 8.17 billion in the nine months of 2025/26 compared to Rs 12.86 billion collected during the same period of 2024/25.
Total CGT collection in the entire 2024/25 hit a record high of Rs 16.54 billion. Total collections have remained Rs 4.23 billion in 2023/24, Rs 2.97 billion in 2022/23, Rs 10.35 billion in 2021/22, and Rs 14.13 billion in 2020/21.
The monthly comparison shows that CGT collection improved in three of the nine months of the current fiscal year compared to last year. CGT collections increased by 0.74% in Poush (mid-Dec to mid-Jan), 22.22% in Magh (mid-Jan to mid-Feb), and 150.28% in Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April).
Similarly, the biggest decline, 76.68%, occurred in Bhadra (mid-Aug to mid-Sept), followed by 58.54% in Falgun (mid-Feb to mid-March), and 58.41% in Ashwin (mid-Sept to mid-Oct).
CGT collection in Shrawan (mid-July to mid-Aug), the first month of the fiscal year, reached Rs 2.15 billion—the highest collection so far this fiscal year. Similarly, the lowest collection of Rs 243.9 million came in the month of Ashwin (mid-Sept to mid-Oct).
A reduction in share prices compared to the previous fiscal year is one of the reasons behind low CGT collection in the current fiscal year. The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) hit a four-year high of 3,002 points in the first year of the current fiscal year. However, it has declined in successive months and fallen below the psychological support level of 2,800 points on Thursday.
The government levies 5% CGT on long-term gains (over 365 days) and 7.5% on short-term gains (under 365 days), while a flat 10% CGT applies to institutional investors.
