US Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Federal capital gains tax — long-term 0%/15%/20% and short-term rates

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US Capital Gains Tax Calculator is a free, browser-based tool that lets you federal capital gains tax — long-term 0%/15%/20% and short-term rates — with zero signup, zero installation. Your data never leaves your browser. Part of 111+ free developer and business tools at wowhow.cloud, built and maintained by a team with 14+ years of hands-on development experience.

TOOLUS Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Your Details

Filing Status

Ordinary Income (Wages/Salary)

Gross wages before deductions — used to determine your capital gains bracket

Capital Gain Amount

Profit from selling your asset (sale price − cost basis)

Holding Period

Asset Type

2026 standard deduction: $15,000

Tax Estimate

Enter your details to see the estimate

2026 Long-Term Capital Gains Rates

Single

$0 – $48,3500%

$48,350 – $533,40015%

Above $533,40020%

Married Filing Jointly

$0 – $96,7000%

$96,700 – $600,05015%

Above $600,05020%

Head of Household

$0 – $64,7500%

$64,750 – $566,70015%

Above $566,70020%

Married Filing Separately

$0 – $48,3500%

$48,350 – $300,02515%

Above $300,02520%

Based on 2026 IRS thresholds. Capital gains are stacked on top of ordinary income to determine the applicable rate. Collectibles are capped at 28%. State taxes not included.

Tax Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for federal capital gains tax only. It does not include state taxes, depreciation recapture on real estate (25% rate), wash sale rules, tax-loss harvesting, or Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Crypto cost basis tracking may differ. Consult a CPA or tax professional for personalized advice before selling.

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About US Capital Gains Tax Calculator

When you sell stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrency, real estate, or other assets at a profit, the federal government taxes those gains. The rate you pay depends on two factors: how long you held the asset and how much ordinary income you already have. Long-term capital gains — on assets held more than 12 months — are taxed at preferential rates of 0%, 15%, or 20%. Short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income, the same as your wages, at rates from 10% to 37%. This calculator applies the 2026 federal rates correctly, using the "stacking" method: your capital gains sit on top of ordinary income to determine which bracket they fall into. It also checks whether the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) applies based on your total income.

How It Works

The calculation has four steps. First, compute taxable ordinary income: gross wages minus the standard deduction ($15,000 single / $30,000 MFJ for 2026) or your itemized deduction total.

Second, determine the long-term capital gains bracket by stacking the capital gains on top of taxable ordinary income. The 2026 thresholds for single filers are: 0% on gains that keep total taxable income below $48,350; 15% on gains that push income between $48,350 and $533,400; 20% on gains above $533,400.

Third, check for the Net Investment Income Tax. If your Modified AGI (roughly gross income + capital gains) exceeds $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (MFJ), an additional 3.8% applies to the lesser of the investment income or the excess above the threshold.

Fourth, sum the capital gains tax and NIIT. For short-term gains, the process is simpler: the gains are added to ordinary income and taxed at regular progressive rates.

Example: Single filer, $80,000 ordinary income, $25,000 long-term stock gain. Taxable ordinary income = $80,000 − $15,000 = $65,000. Gains start stacking at $65,000. The 15% bracket starts at $48,350, so all $25,000 of gains fall in the 15% bracket. Capital gains tax = $3,750. MAGI = $105,000, below $200,000 threshold, so no NIIT. Net after tax = $21,250 of the $25,000 gain.

Who Is This For

A software engineer earning $95,000 sold $40,000 of Apple stock held for 2 years — wants to know if any of the gains qualify for the 0% rate and what they'll owe federally.

A crypto investor who bought Bitcoin at $20,000 and sold at $65,000 after 14 months wants to compare long-term vs short-term tax treatment and see the exact dollar savings from holding the extra 2 months.

A real estate investor selling a rental property wants a quick estimate of federal capital gains exposure (excluding depreciation recapture) to plan whether to do a 1031 exchange.

A high-income dual-income couple (combined $280,000) selling appreciated index funds needs to determine if NIIT applies and how much of their $80,000 in gains will be taxed at 20% vs 15%.

A freelancer with irregular income wants to model the tax impact of selling shares in a down income year (lower ordinary income = more gains in the 0% LTCG bracket).

Scope note: This calculator covers 2026 federal capital gains tax only. Not included: state capital gains taxes (0–13.3% depending on state), depreciation recapture on real estate (25% rate on Section 1250 property), wash sale rule disallowances, like-kind exchange (1031) deferral, qualified opportunity zone deferrals, tax-loss harvesting offsets, and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Crypto cost basis depends on your accounting method (FIFO, LIFO, specific ID). Consult a CPA or enrolled agent before executing large sales.

How to Use

Select your filing status — Single, Married Filing Jointly, Head of Household, or Married Filing Separately

Enter your ordinary income (wages/salary) before deductions

Enter the capital gain amount — your profit from selling the asset

Choose holding period: long-term (held > 12 months) or short-term (held ≤ 12 months)

Select the asset type — stocks/ETFs, crypto, real estate, or collectibles

View your federal capital gains tax, effective rate, and net after-tax proceeds

Frequently Asked Questions

For 2026, long-term capital gains (assets held > 12 months) are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your taxable income. Single filers: 0% up to $48,350; 15% from $48,350–$533,400; 20% above $533,400. Married Filing Jointly: 0% up to $96,700; 15% $96,700–$600,050; 20% above $600,050. These rates are significantly lower than ordinary income tax rates.

Short-term capital gains (assets held ≤ 12 months) are taxed as ordinary income at your marginal federal tax rate — the same rate as wages and salary. Depending on your income, this is 10% to 37%. This is why holding an asset for more than a year before selling can result in substantial tax savings.

The NIIT is an additional 3.8% tax on net investment income (including capital gains) for high-income taxpayers. It applies if your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) exceeds $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for married filing jointly. The 3.8% applies to the lesser of net investment income or the amount MAGI exceeds the threshold.

The IRS stacks your long-term capital gains on top of your ordinary taxable income when determining the rate. For example, if you are single with $45,000 in ordinary taxable income and $20,000 in long-term gains, your total is $65,000. The first $3,350 of gains ($48,350 minus $45,000) falls in the 0% bracket, and the remaining $16,650 is in the 15% bracket. This is more favorable than a flat rate.

Yes — the IRS treats cryptocurrency as property. If you hold crypto for more than a year before selling, profits are long-term capital gains taxed at 0%/15%/20%. If held ≤ 12 months, short-term ordinary income rates apply. The same holding period rules that apply to stocks apply to crypto. Cost basis tracking is critical for accurate tax calculation — use FIFO, LIFO, or specific identification methods.

Long-term gains on collectibles (art, antiques, stamps, coins, wine) are taxed at a maximum rate of 28% — higher than the standard 20% LTCG rate. Short-term collectibles gains are still taxed as ordinary income. Precious metal ETFs that hold physical gold/silver may also be subject to the 28% collectibles rate.

No — this calculator covers federal capital gains tax only. State capital gains taxes vary widely: some states (Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington) have no income tax; others like California tax capital gains as ordinary income at up to 13.3%. Always factor in state taxes when planning a sale.

The tax savings from long-term vs short-term treatment can be dramatic. A single filer earning $100,000 ordinary income selling $50,000 in gains would pay roughly $11,000 at short-term ordinary rates (22%) vs $7,500 at long-term rates (15%) — a $3,500 difference on that one transaction. At higher incomes, the difference between 37% short-term and 20% long-term rates on a $200,000 gain equals $34,000 in federal tax savings.