Skip to content
FinanceWith Ease
Change country: United States

Choose your country

Australia Canada Ireland New Zealand United Kingdom United States

Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Work out the federal and state tax on selling stocks, funds or other investments: short and long-term rates, the 3.8% net investment income tax, and what your losses save.

$

Held more than a year

$

Held a year or less

$

Salary and so on, a year

More options· Losses, dividends, local tax
$
$
$

Taxed like long-term gains

Tax on your gains in 2026

$4,781

23.9% of your $20,000 gain

You keep
$15,219
Long-term rate
15% federal
Short-term rate
22% federal
Where the tax goes
  • Federal tax on long-term gains$3,000
  • California tax$1,781

What this means

Long-term gains sit on top of your other income, so the federal rate depends on your total taxable income. Yours are taxed $20,000 at 15%.

California taxes capital gains like other income: $1,781 more state tax.

Next step

Tax on your gains

Federal tax on long-term gains$3,000.00
California tax$1,780.74
Total$4,780.74
Short-term gain, after losses$0
Long-term gain, after losses$20,000

Federal long-term rates for 2026

Taxable incomeRateYour gains
Up to $49,4500%$0
Up to $545,50015%$20,000
Above that20%$0

Taxable income is your income after the $16,100 standard deduction. Above $200,000 of income, a 3.8% net investment income tax is added.

Assumptions in this estimate
  • Uses 2026 federal and state tax rules, with the standard deduction and no tax credits.
  • Short-term gains are taxed like wages; long-term gains and qualified dividends at 0%, 15% or 20%, depending on your taxable income.
  • The 3.8% net investment income tax counts only these gains and dividends as investment income.
  • Not included: collectibles (taxed at up to 28%), depreciation on property (up to 25%), the exclusion on selling your home, and the alternative minimum tax.
Spotted a mistake? Tell us

How the calculator works

  1. Netting: short-term and long-term gains and losses offset each other, as on Schedule D. Up to $3,000 of net loss comes off your other income.
  2. Federal tax: short-term gains at your income tax rates. Long-term gains and qualified dividends sit on top of your other taxable income, at 0%, 15% or 20%.
  3. Net investment income tax: 3.8% on gains and dividends once your income is over the threshold.
  4. State and local tax: your state’s own rules for gains, including partial exclusions and separate rates, and local income taxes such as New York City’s.

Federal long-term capital gains rates

Taxable income, 2026 0% up to 15% up to 20% above
Single $49,450 $545,500 $545,500
Married filing jointly $98,900 $613,700 $613,700
Married filing separately $49,450 $306,850 $306,850
Head of household $66,200 $579,600 $579,600

Example: the same gain in different states

Single, earning $75,000, selling investments held for more than a year at a $20,000 gain in 2026:

State State tax Total tax
Texas $0 $3,000
Arkansas $370 $3,370
Montana $820 $3,820
South Carolina $868 $3,868
Massachusetts $1,000 $4,000
New York $1,112 $4,112
Hawaii $1,450 $4,450
California $1,781 $4,781

The federal tax is $3,000 in every state. Florida, like Texas, has no tax on capital gains. Washington’s capital gains tax only starts above $278,000 of long-term gains.

Short-term or long-term?

Held a year or less, the same $20,000 gain is taxed like wages: $4,400 of federal tax at 22% instead of $3,000 at 15%. Waiting until you’ve held an investment for more than a year can be worth more than a small move in its price.

What this calculator doesn’t include

Collectibles such as art, coins and gold (taxed at up to 28%), depreciation recaptured when you sell property (up to 25%), the exclusion on selling your home, the alternative minimum tax, and tax credits. Investments in a 401(k), IRA or HSA aren’t taxed when you sell.

Learn more

Read our guide to capital gains tax, and see year-end tax moves for selling losers to offset gains before December 31.

Last updated

Frequently asked questions

What are the capital gains tax rates for 2026?

Gains on investments held more than a year are taxed at 0%, 15% or 20%. For a single filer, 0% applies while taxable income is up to $49,450 and 15% up to $545,500; for married couples filing jointly, $98,900 and $613,700. Gains on investments held a year or less are taxed like wages, at 10% to 37%.

How long do I have to hold an investment to pay the lower rate?

More than one year: from the day after you buy it to the day you sell. Sell a day earlier and the whole gain is taxed as ordinary income.

Can I pay 0% tax on capital gains?

Yes, on the part of your long-term gains that fits under the 0% threshold, counting your other taxable income first. A married couple earning $80,000 can sell $40,000 of long-term gains and pay no federal tax on them. State tax may still apply.

What is the net investment income tax?

An extra 3.8% on investment income, including capital gains and dividends, for people with income over $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly, $125,000 if filing separately). It applies to the smaller of your investment income and your income above the threshold.

How do capital losses lower my tax?

Losses first cancel out gains, short-term against short-term and long-term against long-term, then against each other. Up to $3,000 of net loss a year ($1,500 if married filing separately) comes off your other income, and the rest carries forward to future years.

Which states tax capital gains differently?

Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming don’t tax them. Washington taxes long-term gains over $278,000 at 7% (9.9% on taxable gains over $1 million). Arkansas, Arizona, North Dakota, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Vermont and New Mexico leave out part of them; Massachusetts, Montana and Hawaii have their own rates; and Minnesota adds 1% on investment income over $1 million. Every other state taxes them like wages.