Capital gains tax calculator
Selling stock, crypto, a rental or a business? See the federal tax on the gain, and why the same gain can be taxed at 0% for one person and 20% for another.
Effective rate on the gain: 15.0%. Keep $21,250 before state tax.
Gains sit on top of your income
Long-term gains don’t have their own bracket; they are stacked on your ordinary taxable income, and the rate depends on which band they land in. Change your income above and watch the stack move.
Bands: 0% to $49,450 · 15% to $545,500 · 20% above. Grey = your ordinary taxable income ($53,900); yellow = the gain.
$0 at 0% · $25,000 at 15% · $0 at 20%
Ways to pay less
- Wait for the one-year mark. Holding one day past a year can cut the rate from your bracket (up to 37%) to 15%.
- Use the 0% band. In a low-income year (a gap year, early retirement) you can realise gains up to the 0% ceiling tax-free.
- Harvest losses. Selling losers offsets winners, plus $3,000 of ordinary income per year.
- Mind your state. Most states tax capital gains as ordinary income. Washington has a separate 7% tax on large long-term gains; see the state tax calculator.
Collectibles are taxed at up to 28% and depreciation recapture on real estate at up to 25%; this calculator does not handle those.
Questions people ask
How is capital gains tax calculated?
Subtract what you paid (your cost basis, including commissions) from what you sold for. Gains on assets held one year or less are short-term and taxed as ordinary income. Gains on assets held longer are long-term and taxed at 0%, 15% or 20%, depending on where they land when stacked on top of your other taxable income.
What are the 2026 long-term capital gains rates?
For single filers, 0% on taxable income up to $49,450, 15% up to $545,500 and 20% above. For married couples filing jointly, 0% up to $98,900, 15% up to $613,700, and 20% above. Qualified dividends use the same rates.
What is the 3.8% net investment income tax?
An extra 3.8% on investment income (gains, dividends, interest, rents) for people whose modified AGI exceeds $200,000 single or $250,000 married filing jointly. It applies to the smaller of your investment income or the amount over the threshold. The thresholds are not indexed for inflation.
Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my home?
Usually not. If you owned and lived in the home for two of the last five years, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 married filing jointly). Only the gain above that is taxable.
Can losses offset gains?
Yes. Capital losses offset capital gains dollar for dollar, and up to $3,000 of net loss a year can offset ordinary income; the rest carries forward. Enter your net gain after losses in the calculator.