Capital Gains Tax Guide: Calculators, Strategies & Guides

Calculators and guides for US capital gains tax on stocks, real estate and crypto: rates, holding periods, loss harvesting and ways to pay less.

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Capital Gains Tax Calculator Crypto Capital Gains Tax Calculator Dividend Tax Calculator

Capital Gains Tax calculators

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CalculatorCapital Gains Tax CalculatorFree capital gains tax calculator. Calculate federal and state capital gains taxes on stocks, real estate, crypto, and investments. Optimize your tax strategy.CalculatorCrypto Capital Gains Tax CalculatorEstimate US tax on selling, swapping, or spending crypto — and see why a wallet-to-wallet transfer is usually not a sale. Informational only.CalculatorDividend Tax CalculatorCalculate federal tax on qualified and ordinary dividends. See how dividend income affects your tax bracket, NIIT exposure, and overall investment tax strategy.CalculatorISO Tax Calculator: AMT on Incentive Stock OptionsEstimate the AMT from exercising incentive stock options, your earliest qualifying sale date, and the tax on a qualifying or disqualifying sale.CalculatorNIIT Calculator: 3.8% Net Investment Income TaxEstimate the 3.8% net investment income tax from your MAGI and investment income, with Form 8960 rules for which expenses reduce it.CalculatorQSBS Calculator: Section 1202 Tax Exclusion EstimateFree QSBS calculator for the Section 1202 exclusion. Estimate excluded gain, the per-issuer cap and federal tax saved on a qualified small business stock sale.CalculatorTax Loss Harvesting CalculatorFind how much loss to harvest before year-end, what it saves this year, and how much carries forward, using the $3,000 ($1,500 MFS) capital loss limit.

Free · 1-page PDF-ready sheet

Every 2026 tax number on one page

Brackets, standard deduction, capital-gains thresholds, credits, and the new OBBBA deductions — one printable page instead of 40 IRS PDFs.

All 7 brackets for single, joint, and head of household
Tips, overtime, senior, and car-loan deduction caps
0% / 15% / 20% capital-gains breakpoints
Credits, estate and gift limits, AMT exemption

Curated byThe Money Pocket team

Updated October 9, 2026

Capital gains taxes are one of the most significant — and most manageable — taxes investors face. Whether you're selling stocks, real estate, cryptocurrency, or small business shares, the difference between short-term and long-term rates can mean tens of thousands of dollars. This hub brings together every tool and guide you need to calculate your liability and reduce it legally.

Start with the capital gains tax calculator for the tax on a sale, then the tax loss harvesting calculator if you have losses to offset those gains. For bitcoin and ether lots — including a wallet transfer that is usually not a sale — use the crypto capital gains tax calculator.

What Is Capital Gains Tax?

A capital gain is the profit you make when you sell a capital asset for more than you paid for it. The IRS taxes these gains at different rates depending on how long you held the asset:

Short-term capital gains (held ≤ 1 year): taxed as ordinary income — up to 37% federally
Long-term capital gains (held > 1 year): taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income

High earners also owe an additional 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT), pushing the effective top rate to 23.8% federal — before state taxes.

Key Capital Gains Tax Concepts

Tax-Loss Harvesting

Selling losing positions to offset gains is one of the most powerful legal tax strategies available. The wash-sale rule (30-day window) must be respected, but smart harvesting can eliminate thousands in annual tax liability. Model a harvest with the tax loss harvesting calculator.

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS)

Under Section 1202, gains from qualifying startup investments can be excluded from federal tax entirely — up to $10 million or 10x your investment cost. Understanding QSBS eligibility is critical for early-stage investors.

Incentive Stock Options (ISOs)

ISOs receive favorable capital gains treatment but trigger Alternative Minimum Tax at exercise. The interplay between ISOs, AMT, and capital gains requires careful planning — especially around filing deadlines.

Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT)

The 3.8% NIIT applies to investment income (including capital gains) for taxpayers above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married) in Modified Adjusted Gross Income. Real estate professionals may qualify for an exemption.

Cryptocurrency

Digital assets are property. Selling, swapping, or spending is usually a taxable disposal; moving coins to a wallet you still own generally is not. Walk through Is transferring crypto between wallets taxable?, IRS Form 1099-DA explained, and crypto tax-loss harvesting. Estimate a single lot with the crypto capital gains tax calculator.

Strategies to Minimize Capital Gains Tax

Hold for long-term rates — the 0% bracket is available up to $47,025 (single) in 2026
Harvest losses to offset gains dollar-for-dollar
Max out tax-advantaged accounts — gains inside Roth IRAs and 401(k)s are never taxed
Use Opportunity Zones — defer and potentially reduce gains by investing in designated zones
Gift appreciated assets — recipients take your basis, but may be in lower brackets
Charitable strategies — donate appreciated stock to avoid gains while getting a deduction

Dividend Taxation

Dividends from stocks and funds are taxed differently depending on whether they're "qualified" or "ordinary" — and the difference is enormous. Qualified dividends enjoy the same 0%, 15%, or 20% preferential rates as long-term capital gains. Ordinary dividends are taxed at your full marginal income tax rate, up to 37%.

To qualify, a dividend must come from a US corporation (or eligible foreign corporation) and you must meet the 60-day holding period requirement around the ex-dividend date. Most dividends from individual US stocks and broad-market ETFs are qualified. REIT dividends and most bond fund distributions are ordinary income.

High earners also face the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) on dividends above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married) in MAGI — bringing the top effective federal rate to 23.8% on qualified dividends.

Use the Dividend Tax Calculator to calculate your exact federal tax on dividend income across all brackets.

Explore these closely related topic clusters:

Real Estate Investing Hub — 1031 exchanges, depreciation recapture, rental property gains
Canadian Capital Gains Hub — ACB, inclusion rate, capital losses in Canada
Retirement Planning Hub — Tax-deferred growth, Roth conversions
Estate Planning Hub — Step-up in basis, estate tax interaction
Federal Income Tax Hub — How capital gains fit into your overall tax picture
Payroll Tax Hub — How wages and investment income interact

Capital Gains Tax guides

GuideCrypto Tax-Loss HarvestingSelling crypto at a loss can offset US capital gains — and unlike stocks, wash-sale rules generally do not apply today. How to harvest without wrecking basis.GuideIRS Form 1099-DA ExplainedForm 1099-DA is how US brokers report digital-asset sales. What proceeds vs basis mean, why transfers are not automatically gains, and how to reconcile.GuideIs Transferring Crypto Between Wallets Taxable?Moving bitcoin or ethereum to a wallet you own is usually not a US sale. Selling, swapping, or spending is. How to record transfers and avoid 1099-DA mix-ups.GuideDividend Tax Rates: Qualified vs Ordinary DividendsQualified dividends are taxed at long-term capital gains rates (0–20%) while ordinary dividends face regular income tax rates. Here's how to tell which is which.GuideHow Dividends Are Taxed: Qualified vs Ordinary RatesQualified dividends are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% — far lower than ordinary income rates. Learn the holding period rules and how to optimize dividend tax.GuideShort-Term vs Long-Term Capital Gains Tax RatesShort-term gains are taxed as ordinary income up to 37%. Long-term gains get 0%, 15%, or 20% rates. The one-year holding period can save thousands.GuideCapital Gains Tax Strategies: 15 Ways to Pay Less TaxMaster advanced capital gains tax strategies to minimize taxes on stocks, real estate, and investments. Learn professional techniques that could save thousands in taxes.