Capital Gains Tax Calculator
Estimate the tax on an investment gain using long-term rates or your ordinary rate for short-term holdings.
Estimate based on 2024 federal figures only. Not tax advice — your actual bill depends on credits, deductions, and your state. Check with a tax professional or the IRS before filing.
How it works
When you sell an investment for more than you paid, the profit is a capital gain, and how long you held it changes everything. Hold longer than a year and you get the friendlier long-term rates; sell sooner and the gain is taxed like ordinary income.
Long-term gains fall into three federal buckets — 0%, 15%, or 20% — depending on your overall income. Pick the one that matches your bracket. For short-term gains there's no special rate, so you enter your own ordinary rate and the tool applies it to the profit.
It subtracts your purchase price from the sale price to find the gain, applies the rate you chose, and shows the tax plus what you keep after. If you sold at a loss, it says so and skips the tax — a loss isn't taxed and can often offset other gains.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as long-term versus short-term?
It's about how long you owned the asset. Hold it more than one year before selling and the gain is long-term, taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%. A year or less makes it short-term, taxed at your ordinary income rate, which is usually higher.
Which long-term rate applies to me?
It depends on your taxable income. Lower earners can hit 0%, most people land at 15%, and high earners reach 20%. The tool lets you pick because the exact income thresholds shift each year — check the current figures if you're near a boundary.
What happens if I sold at a loss?
There's no tax on a loss. The calculator recognizes when the sale price is below your purchase price and shows a capital loss instead. In real filings, losses can offset gains and even a limited amount of ordinary income, so they're not wasted.