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Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Calculate your capital gains tax on any investment — stocks, real estate, or other assets. See your short-term vs long-term tax results instantly.

Purchase Price ($)

Sale Price ($)

Improvements ($)

Selling Costs ($)

Years Held

Annual Income ($)

Filing Status

How to Use the Capital Gains Tax Calculator

1
Enter your purchase price and sale price for the asset. Add any improvements or additional costs to your cost basis and enter any selling costs such as agent commissions or broker fees.
2
Enter how many years you held the asset. Holding an asset for more than one year qualifies it for lower long-term capital gains tax rates which are 0% 15% or 20% depending on your income.
3
Enter your annual income and select your filing status. This determines which tax bracket applies to your capital gain. The calculator uses 2026 federal tax brackets for both long-term and short-term rates.
4
Click Calculate to see your tax owed, net gain after tax, and how much you save by holding the asset long-term versus short-term. Download the free PDF report to share with your tax advisor.

Example Capital Gains Calculation

Cost Basis: $11,000.00
Net Proceeds: $24,500.00
Capital Gain: $13,500.00
Holding Period: Long-Term (2 years)

LT Tax Rate: 15%
Tax Owed: $2,025.00
Net Gain: $11,475.00
Tax Savings vs ST: $945.00

"In this example, holding the asset for 2 years saves you nearly $1,000 in taxes compared to selling within the first year. Your total ROI after tax is 104.3%."

Frequently Asked Questions

ST vs LT Capital Gains?

Short-term gains (held ≤ 1 year) are taxed at ordinary income rates (up to 37%). Long-term gains (held > 1 year) are taxed at lower rates (0%, 15%, or 20%). Holding for just one day over a year can save significant money.

What is the NIIT?

The Net Investment Income Tax is an extra 3.8% tax on investment income for high earners. It applies when your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $200,000 (Single) or $250,000 (Married Joint).

How do losses work?

Capital losses can offset capital gains dollar-for-dollar. If you have a net loss, you can deduct up to $3,000 against ordinary income and carry forward the rest to future years. This is called tax loss harvesting.

What increases cost basis?

Any expense that adds to the value or extends the life of an asset. For real estate, this includes renovations or additions. For stocks, it includes purchase commissions or fees.