Capital gains tax calculator
Enter a sale and see what you actually keep, with federal, net investment income and state tax broken out.
What you paid, plus commissions and improvements
Capital gains stack on top of this, so it sets the bracket
The one-year line is the single biggest lever here. Selling a day early can move the whole gain from the long-term schedule onto your ordinary income rates.
Long-term gains stack on top of your ordinary income, so a gain can straddle two rates. At $85,000 of other income, part of this one may fall in the 0% band.
2026 rates. The 0% long-term band runs to $49,450 of taxable income and the 20% rate begins at $545,500. Net investment income tax adds 3.8% above $200,000 of modified AGI. Excludes capital losses carried forward, the principal residence exclusion, collectibles and qualified small business stock, wash sales, and local income taxes.
Long-term gains, on assets held more than a year, use a separate schedule of 0%, 15% and 20% rather than your income tax rates. They stack on top of your ordinary income, so the same gain can be taxed at different rates depending on what you already earn. Above $200,000 of modified AGI for a single filer, an extra 3.8% net investment income tax applies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between short-term and long-term capital gains?
Assets held more than a year qualify for the long-term schedule of 0%, 15% or 20%. Anything held a year or less is short-term and taxed as ordinary income, at rates reaching 37%. The one-year line is the single biggest lever available: selling a day early can move the entire gain onto your income tax rates.
How can my capital gains rate be 0%?
Because long-term gains stack on top of your ordinary taxable income, and the 0% band runs to $49,450 of taxable income for a single filer in 2026. If your other income is modest, part or all of a gain can genuinely be taxed at nothing. Retirees and people between jobs are the usual beneficiaries.
What is the net investment income tax?
An extra 3.8% on the lesser of your net investment income or the amount by which modified AGI exceeds $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for joint filers. Those thresholds are set by statute and are not indexed to inflation, so more people cross them every year.
How do I pay less on a sale?
Hold past the one-year mark where you can. Realize gains in a lower-income year. Use capital losses to offset gains, which can be carried forward indefinitely. Hold assets inside a 401(k), IRA or HSA where gains are not taxed at all. And make sure your cost basis includes commissions and improvements, since overstating the gain is a common and expensive error.
Does my state tax capital gains?
Most states tax them as ordinary income, so there is no preferential rate. Nine states do not tax wage income at all, and Washington taxes capital gains specifically while not taxing wages. Pick your state above to see the difference.
Researching and writing about Canadian personal finance since 2026.
Last reviewed August 2026 · How we research
“Capital Gains Tax Calculator.” Vault Nerd, https://www.vaultnerd.com/tools/capital-gains-tax-calculator, updated August 2026.
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, Table 6: maximum capital gains rate thresholds for 2026
- IRS Topic 409: capital gains and losses
- IRS Topic 559: net investment income tax
- Tax Foundation: 2026 state income tax rates and brackets