Capital Gains Tax Calculator 2026
Calculate taxes on stock profits, crypto gains, and investment income. Short-term vs long-term rates.
Taxed as ordinary income (10%-37%)
Taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%
How capital gains tax works in 2026
The short answer
Long-term capital gains — on assets held more than a year — are taxed at 0%, 15% or 20% for 2026, depending on total taxable income. Short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income at your marginal rate, which for most self-employed filers is considerably higher.
The holding period is the whole decision
| Held | Taxed as | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| One year or less | Short-term — ordinary income | 10% – 37% |
| More than one year | Long-term capital gain | 0%, 15% or 20% |
One day either side of the anniversary can change the rate on a gain by twenty percentage points. The holding period starts the day after acquisition and includes the day of sale.
The 2026 long-term rates
| Rate | Taxable income |
|---|---|
| 0% | up to $49,450 |
| 15% | $49,451 – $545,500 |
| 20% | above $545,500 |
The thresholds are measured on total taxable income including the gain, so a large gain can push part of itself into a higher band. The brackets stack rather than switch: reaching the 15% band does not tax the whole gain at 15%.
What this calculator does not cover
- Net investment income tax — an extra 3.8% above $200,000 of modified AGI for a single filer.
- Collectibles, taxed at up to 28% rather than the standard long-term rates.
- Section 1250 depreciation recapture on real estate, taxed at up to 25%.
- Qualified small business stock under Section 1202, which can be excluded entirely.
- State capital gains tax. Most states tax gains as ordinary income, with no preferential rate at all.
The last of those catches people out. A resident of a state with a 5% flat income tax pays that 5% on a long-term gain even while the federal rate is 0%.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the capital gains tax rate for 2026?
How long do I have to hold an asset for the lower rate?
Do I pay state tax on capital gains?
Sources
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 — 2026 inflation adjustments — tax brackets, standard deduction, QBI thresholds.
- IRS Schedule SE instructions — Self-employment tax: the 92.35% adjustment, the Social Security wage base, the Medicare surtax.
- IRS Form 1040-ES — Estimated tax deadlines and the safe-harbour rules used for the quarterly schedule.
- IRS Publication 334 — Tax guide for small business — deductible expenses and net profit.
- IRS Social Security wage base — The $184,500 Social Security cap applied for 2026.
How these numbers are produced
Calculations follow the order of operations on the IRS forms themselves: net profit, the 92.35% adjustment, self-employment tax, the 50% deduction against AGI, the standard deduction, the §199A QBI deduction with its phase-out, then the federal brackets. State tax is computed separately on state AGI less that state's own standard deduction, because no state allows the federal QBI deduction and almost none allow the federal standard deduction.
What it does not cover. The calculators model a single filer or a married couple filing jointly with self-employment income as the main source. They do not model local income taxes, W-2 wages held alongside freelance work, itemized deductions, the alternative minimum tax, or credits. Where a local income tax exists, it is described on that state's page.
Not advice. SelfTaxCalc produces estimates, not tax advice. No one here is a CPA, an enrolled agent or a tax attorney, and nothing on this site creates a professional relationship. Estimates are a starting point for planning and for a conversation with a professional — they are not a substitute for one.