One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is a braking apparatus for an electric power tool that includes a switching circuit with six switching elements and a brake control unit. The brake control unit switches any one selected switching element of three switching elements forming one selected switch group of a high-side switch group and a low-side switch group to an off state from an on state at a timing at which braking current flows through a diode connected in parallel to the selected switching element upon turn-off of the selected switching element.