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What is a Capital Gain?
When you sell stock for more than you paid, the profit is a "capital gain" — and the IRS taxes it. Hold for over 1 year → lower long-term rates (0–20%). Hold 1 year or less → taxed at your regular income rate (10–37%). This calculator shows exactly which bracket you land in for any tax year.
Your tax situation
The year you sold the stock
How you file your return
$
Your wages/salary before adding the stock profit — this determines your tax bracket
Please enter a valid income (0 or more)
Your stock sale
$
Cost per share when you bought
Please enter a valid purchase price
$
Price per share when you sold
Please enter a valid sale price
How many shares did you sell?
$
Commissions reduce your taxable gain
Please enter a valid fee amount (0 or more).
When did you buy?
Please enter a valid purchase date
When did you sell?
Sale date must be after purchase date
CapitalGainsCalc
Your Results
Total Gain / Loss
$5,000
Profit from sale
Effective Tax Rate
15.0%
Of your total gain
Total Tax Owed
$750
Federal tax only
Federal —
State —
NIIT (3.8%) —
State tax not included — unlock Pro to add your state
You Keep (After Tax)
$4,250
Federal only
Federal Rate Applied
15.0%
Long-term capital gains
Smart Tax Insights
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In Plain English
Your result will appear here.
Full Calculation Breakdown
Total sale proceeds—
Original cost basis—
Broker fees deducted—
Capital gain (profit)—
Gain type—
Federal tax rate applied—
Federal tax owed—
State tax—
Est. state tax 🔒 Pro—
NIIT (3.8% surtax)—
Net profit after tax—
⚠ You may also owe Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) — 3.8%
Your income exceeds the NIIT threshold.
⏳ What if you wait to sell?
SHORT-TERM → LONG-TERMSell now
Short-term tax owed
—
—
Wait until long-term
Long-term tax instead
—
—
You could save
by holding past the 1-year mark
—
Assumes same gain amount and income when you sell. Actual savings may vary.
You may be underestimating your tax
This estimate is federal only. Most states add 3–13% on top — that could mean hundreds more owed.
Want the complete picture?
All 50 state rates
Multi-stock calculator
Broker fee deduction
Tax-loss harvesting
PDF report export
$15 one-time
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates only and is not tax advice. Actual tax liability may vary based on your full financial situation. Please consult a qualified tax professional.
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You're missing part of your tax picture
Your result excludes state taxes and advanced optimizations. Unlock full accuracy.
All 50 state tax rates
Multi-stock calculator
Tax-loss harvesting
PDF export
Multi-Stock Calculator
Calculate your total gains across multiple trades at once. Gains and losses are automatically netted — including the $3,000 ordinary income deduction.
Tax settings (applies to all stocks)
$
Added on top of federal
Your stock sales
| Ticker / Name | Buy Price | Sell Price | Shares | Buy Date | Sell Date | Broker Fee |
|---|
Results
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Tax-Loss Harvesting
Find losing positions that offset your gains and calculate your exact tax savings. Wash sale detection included.
Enter every position you sold this year — gains and losses. The calculator nets them using IRS rules and shows your exact tax saving. Your brokerage's trade history or 1099-B has everything you need.
Each row is one completed sale
Use the price per share you paid and received, the number of shares, and the exact buy and sell dates. For positions you haven't sold yet, use today's price as the sell price to model the potential saving.
Wash sale checkbox
Tick this only if you sold at a loss and repurchased the same stock within 30 days before or after the sale. The IRS disallows that loss — it won't offset your gains this year. Do not add the repurchase as a separate row.
Tax settings
$
Added on top of federal
Your positions
| Ticker / Name | Buy Price | Current / Sell Price | Shares | Buy Date | Sell Date | Wash Sale? |
|---|
Harvesting Analysis
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Frequently Asked Questions
Capital gains tax, explained in plain language.
Long-term (held over 1 year): 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on income. Single filers: 0% up to $49,450 · 15% from $49,451–$545,500 · 20% above $545,500. Short-term (1 year or less): taxed at your regular income rate (10%–37%). Married filing jointly thresholds are roughly double the single thresholds.
Short-term: sold within 12 months — taxed at your ordinary income rate (10–37%). Long-term: held more than 12 months — taxed at preferential rates (0%, 15%, or 20%). Example: On a $10,000 gain, a 37% taxpayer pays $3,700 short-term vs. $2,000 long-term. Holding just one extra day past 12 months can save thousands.
Most states tax capital gains as ordinary income. Zero-tax states: Florida, Texas, Nevada, Alaska, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, New Hampshire. Highest rates: California 13.3%, New Jersey 10.75%, New York 10.9%, Oregon 9.9%. Most others range 3–7%. Upgrade to Pro to automatically calculate your state tax.
An extra 3.8% surtax on investment income for high earners. It applies when your modified AGI exceeds $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). This calculator warns you when your income may trigger NIIT — but always confirm with a CPA since the calculation can be complex.
If you sell a stock at a loss and repurchase the same or substantially identical stock within 30 days before or after the sale, the IRS disallows the loss deduction. The disallowed loss is added to your cost basis in the new shares instead. Our Pro harvesting tool flags wash sales automatically so you don't accidentally lose your deduction.
Your broker sends a Form 1099-B each year listing every sale. You report these on Schedule D of Form 1040. TurboTax and H&R Block can import your 1099-B directly so you don't need to enter each trade manually. Annual returns and taxes are due April 15.
Selling losing positions to realize a loss that offsets your gains, reducing your tax bill. Example: $8,000 profit on Apple, $3,000 loss on another stock → you only pay tax on $5,000 net gain. Up to $3,000 in excess losses can also offset ordinary income each year, with the remainder carrying forward indefinitely.
This calculator uses official IRS 2026 brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) and is accurate for straightforward stock sales. It does not account for AMT, depreciation recapture, Qualified Opportunity Zone investments, or other edge cases. Always consult a qualified CPA or tax professional before filing. This tool is for estimation purposes only.