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Capital Gains Tax Calculator
See what you'll owe on your stock or crypto gains — short-term vs long-term, with the 0/15/20% breakdown. 2026 federal rates.
Your tax on gains
How capital gains are taxed
Two buckets, taxed very differently:
- Long-term (held more than a year): preferential 0% / 15% / 20% rates. The rate depends on your total taxable income — your wages fill the lower brackets first, then your gains stack on top. Low income can mean $0 tax on a big chunk of gains.
- Short-term (a year or less): taxed as ordinary income, same as a paycheck. This is why holding past one year often saves a lot.
This is the base federal tax. High earners may also owe the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax, and your state likely taxes gains too. The full tax calculator models NIIT and the whole stack.