Capital gains tax calculator for 2026

Held more than a year, a gain is taxed at 0%, 15% or 20%, by taxable income. Single, 0% runs to $49,450 and 20% starts past $545,500. Married filing jointly, $98,900 and $613,700. Head of household, $66,200 and $579,600. Held a year or less, it is taxed like pay, at 10% to 37%. Above $200,000 of income ($250,000 jointly), 3.8% more is added.

Held more than a year, single, with no other income: $5,168 of federal tax for 2026, 5.2% of the gain. On top of $100,000 of pay: $15,000. Living in California adds $9,300 of state tax to that.

Most states tax a gain like pay, with no lower rate. Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming have no income tax. Hawaii taxes a long-term gain at no more than 7.25%. Maryland adds 2% on gains once income passes $350,000. Washington taxes no pay but takes 7% of long-term gains over $284,000, and 9.9% of the part more than $1,000,000 over it. Missouri taxes no capital gains. Some take part of a gain off: Arizona 25% of a long-term gain, Arkansas 50% of any gain, North Dakota 40% of a long-term gain, South Carolina 44% of a long-term gain, Vermont 40% of a long-term gain and Wisconsin 30% of a long-term gain.

Hold past a year, so the gain is taxed at 0%, 15% or 20% rather than like pay. Sell losers to offset winners, and take up to $3,000 of losses off other income each year. Give appreciated shares held over a year to charity instead of cash: no tax on the gain, and their value counts as a gift up to 30% of income. Sell in a low-income year, when the gain fits under the 0% line. A home you have lived in two of the last five years takes $250,000 of gain off ($500,000 jointly). Shares in a qualifying small company held 5 years or more can leave up to $15,000,000 of gain untaxed (QSBS, for shares issued after July 4, 2025).

Anything held more than one year before it is sold. The clock starts the day after you buy and counts the day you sell. Shares from work start their clock when they vest or are bought.

Yes. Short-term losses come off short-term gains and long-term off long-term, then one against the other. A loss left over comes off other income, up to $3,000 a year ($1,500 married filing separately), and the rest carries to next year with no end.

Only the part that fits. The gain sits on top of your other taxable income, so the 0% rate covers it up to $49,450 single ($98,900 jointly) and 15% the rest. With $100,000 of pay, single, a long-term gain starts at 15%.

3.8% on gains, dividends, interest and rents, or on how far income is over $200,000 single ($250,000 jointly, $125,000 separately), whichever is less. Those lines are set in law and not raised for inflation. It applies to short-term and long-term gains alike.