US Capital Gains Tax Calculator
2026 federal tax on short and long-term capital gains.
Filing status
Your taxable income from wages and other ordinary sources, after the standard or itemized deduction.
Your result
—
Enter your numbers to see the result.
This US capital gains tax calculator estimates the 2026 federal tax on gains from selling stocks, funds, crypto or other assets in the US. Short-term gains (held one year or less) are taxed at your ordinary rates, while long-term gains use the 0%, 15% and 20% brackets, stacked on top of your other income. It nets gains and losses, applies the $3,000 loss deduction and adds the 3.8% net investment income tax when it applies.
What is a US Capital Gains Tax Calculator?
A capital gain is the profit when you sell an asset, such as a stock, fund, cryptocurrency or property, for more than you paid. In the US, how long you held the asset decides the rate: short-term gains (one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income, while long-term gains (more than one year) get lower rates of 0%, 15% or 20%.
Long-term gains are stacked on top of your other taxable income, so the rate depends on where that total falls. For 2026, the 0% rate applies up to $49,450 of taxable income for single filers and $98,900 for married couples filing jointly. This US capital gains tax calculator applies the 2026 brackets and also adds the 3.8% net investment income tax for higher incomes.
How does the US Capital Gains Tax Calculator work?
Short-term and long-term results are first netted against each other. If you have an overall loss, up to $3,000 is deducted from other income and the rest carries forward. Short-term gains are added to ordinary income and taxed at regular rates. Long-term gains are placed on top and split across the 0%, 15% and 20% bands. The 3.8% NIIT applies to the smaller of net investment income or modified AGI above $200,000 (single, head of household) or $250,000 (joint).
How to use the US Capital Gains Tax Calculator step by step
- Choose your filing status.
- Enter your taxable income before gains.
- Enter your total short-term gain or loss.
- Enter your total long-term gain or loss.
- Read the tax on each type and the NIIT.
- Use the 0% band figure to plan sales in lower-income years.
US Capital Gains Tax Calculator example with real numbers
Lena files single and has $80,000 of taxable income from her job. In 2026 she sells shares held for eight months at a $5,000 gain and index fund units held for three years at a $20,000 gain.
| Example input | Value |
|---|---|
| Filing status | Single |
| Taxable income before gains (after deductions) | $80,000 |
| Short-term gain or loss (held 1 year or less) | $5,000 |
| Long-term gain or loss (held over 1 year) | $20,000 |
| Example output | Value |
|---|---|
| Federal tax on your gains | $4,100 |
| Tax on short-term gains | $1,100 |
| Tax on long-term gains | $3,000 |
| Net investment income tax (3.8%) | $0 |
| Long-term gain at 0% / 15% / 20% | $0 / $20,000 / $0 |
| Effective rate on gains | 16.4% |
Her short-term gain is taxed at her ordinary rate ($1,100) and the long-term gain at 15% ($3,000). The US capital gains tax calculator shows $4,100 of federal tax in total.
Key features of this US Capital Gains Tax Calculator
- 2026 long-term brackets
- Short-term at ordinary rates
- Gain and loss netting
- $3,000 loss deduction and carryforward
- 3.8% NIIT
Who should use the US Capital Gains Tax Calculator?
Who is this US Capital Gains Tax Calculator for?
- Stock and ETF investors
- Crypto investors
- People selling a rental or second home
- Retirees managing taxable accounts
Practical use cases
- Estimating tax before selling
- Deciding whether to wait for long-term treatment
- Harvesting losses to offset gains
- Using the 0% bracket in a low-income year
Key benefits
- Accurate stacking: gains placed on top of income.
- Loss-aware: netting and carryforward.
- Complete: NIIT included.
- Private: runs in your browser.
Tips for better results
- Holding just past one year can cut the rate on a gain sharply.
- Sell losing positions to offset gains, but watch the wash-sale rule.
- Low-income years, such as early retirement, can let you realize gains at 0%.
- Gains on a main home may be partly excluded ($250,000 single, $500,000 joint) if you qualify.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the long-term rate on assets held exactly one year or less.
- Entering gross sale proceeds instead of the gain.
- Forgetting the 3.8% NIIT.
- Ignoring state tax on gains.
Limitations of this US Capital Gains Tax Calculator
- Collectibles, section 1250 recapture and qualified small business stock are not modeled.
- MAGI is approximated for NIIT.
- It does not handle the home-sale exclusion.
US Capital Gains Tax Calculator vs other ways to calculate
| 2026 long-term rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | Up to $49,450 | Up to $98,900 | Up to $66,200 |
| 15% | $49,451 to $545,500 | $98,901 to $613,700 | $66,201 to $579,600 |
| 20% | Over $545,500 | Over $613,700 | Over $579,600 |
For your full return, use the US income tax calculator. For crypto trades, see the crypto profit calculator.
Privacy and data handling
This US Capital Gains Tax Calculator runs entirely in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to Qorico or stored on any server, and nothing is saved after you close the page. The Copy and Download buttons create the result on your own device. If the page has analytics turned on, it may count that a calculation happened, but it does not record the values you entered.
US Capital Gains Tax Calculator FAQs
What are the 2026 long-term capital gains brackets?
For single filers: 0% up to $49,450, 15% up to $545,500 and 20% above. For joint filers: $98,900 and $613,700.
How are short-term gains taxed?
As ordinary income at your regular federal tax rate.
How much tax on a $100,000 long-term gain?
It depends on your other income. With no other income, a single filer pays 0% on the first part and 15% on the rest above the 0% threshold.
What is the net investment income tax?
A 3.8% tax on investment income for people with modified AGI above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (joint).
Can capital losses reduce my tax?
Yes. Losses offset gains, and up to $3,000 of net loss a year can reduce other income, with the rest carried forward.
Is crypto taxed as capital gains?
Yes. The IRS treats digital assets as property, so selling or swapping them can create capital gains.
Related tools
Sources and references
We checked the method and the current figures used in this US Capital Gains Tax Calculator against these official and primary sources:
- IRS: Topic 409, capital gains and losses
- IRS: Internal Revenue Service
- IRS: Net investment income tax
- IRS Publication 550
Written and reviewed by the Qorico Team
