Capital Gains Tax Calculator
Estimate federal capital gains tax based on whether the gain is short-term (ordinary income) or long-term (preferential rate).
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About Capital Gains Tax Calculator
Long-term vs short-term
Long-term (held > 1 year) is taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% based on income — much lower than ordinary rates (up to 37%). Always check the holding period before selling.
The gain stacks on your income — it doesn't get one flat rate
Your long-term gain sits on top of your ordinary taxable income (other income minus the standard deduction) and is then split across the 0%, 15%, and 20% bands. A gain can straddle two bands: part at 0% and the rest at 15%. This calculator shows the per-band split rather than applying a single rate to the whole gain. A short-term gain is handled the same way, but stacked into the ordinary brackets.
NIIT
The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax applies to investment income (incl. capital gains) when MAGI exceeds $200k single or head of household, $250k married filing jointly, and $125k married filing separately. It is added on top of the regular capital gains tax.
Loss harvesting
You can offset gains with capital losses dollar-for-dollar. Excess losses up to $3,000/year can offset ordinary income; the rest carries forward indefinitely.