US Capital Gains Tax Calculator (2026)
Long-term gains held over a year hit the preferential 0% / 15% / 20% brackets. Short-term gains are ordinary income. Collectibles cap at 28%, §1250 unrecaptured depreciation caps at 25%, and the §1411 NIIT adds 3.8% above MAGI thresholds that have not moved since 2013.
Guidance, not advice. This calculator runs the rules as published, it doesn't assess your circumstances. Your actual tax may be affected by factors it doesn't cover (deductions, credits, filing status nuances, state-specific adjustments). Always seek financial or tax advice from a qualified CPA, Enrolled Agent, or tax attorney, or contact the IRS. Read our editorial scope →
Your situation
Determines which LTCG bracket your gain lands in.
Original cost plus improvements and selling costs.
Special exclusions & deferrals
Owned & lived in the home 2 of the last 5 years. Applies to principal residence only.
QSBS held > 5 years in a qualifying C-corp with < $50M gross assets at issuance.
Investment real estate only — 45-day identification, 180-day close.
60-day rollover of QSBS proceeds into new QSBS.
Loss on qualifying small-business stock treated as ordinary instead of capital.
Capital gains tax — Tax Year 2026
Raw capital gain
Proceeds $500,000 − basis $200,000.
$300,000
Taxable gain after exclusions
Long-term — preferential 0/15/20% brackets stacked on top of ordinary income.
$300,000
Federal tax (LTCG brackets)
Effective federal rate on the gain: 15.00%.
$45,000
State capital gains tax
California: capital gains taxed as ordinary income at the top marginal rate (13.30%).
$39,900
NIIT estimate (§1411 — 3.8%)
Threshold for your filing status: $200,000 (NOT inflation-indexed).
$8,360
Total capital gains tax
$93,260
Effective rate on taxable gain
31.09%
NIIT 3.8% triggered — see the Dividend & Capital Gains calculator for full §1411 modelling.
State capital-gains treatment varies widely. Most states tax gains as ordinary income; nine states (AK, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WY, plus WA for non-LTCG) have no state capital gains tax. AR, ID, NM apply deductions; HI uses a preferential 7.25% rate; MT gives a 30% credit; WA imposes a 7% tax on long-term gains above $250,000.
How US capital gains tax works
Long-term vs short-term
Assets held more than one year qualify for the preferential 0/15/20% long-term brackets. Held one year or less, the gain is short-term and taxed at your ordinary marginal rate.
§121 home sale exclusion
Up to $250,000 of gain on a principal residence ( $500,000 MFJ) can be excluded if you owned and lived in it for at least two of the last five years.
Collectibles & §1250
Long-term gains on art, coins, and precious metals cap at 28%. Real-estate depreciation recapture under §1250 caps at 25%. Both still feed the NIIT base.
NIIT (§1411) 3.8% overlay
Above MAGI thresholds ($200k single / $250k MFJ / $125k MFS) NIIT applies to the lesser of net investment income or the MAGI excess. The thresholds are statutory and not indexed to inflation.