Capital Gains Tax Estimator (2026, US Federal)
Estimate federal tax on short-term gains (taxed as ordinary income) and long-term gains (0%, 15%, 20%) for tax year 2026, stacked on top of your other taxable income. Bracket figures come from the IRS (sources below). You can also enter your own rates.
Sources: IRS, IR-2025-103 (Oct. 9, 2025) for 2026 ordinary brackets; Rev. Proc. 2025-32 §4.03 for 2026 capital-gains thresholds; IRS Topic 559 for the Net Investment Income Tax. Last checked Oct. 27, 2026.
How to use
- Pick a filing status. Single and married filing jointly use verified 2026 IRS brackets. Choose "Custom rates" for any other case.
- Enter your other taxable income after deductions (wages etc., not including these gains), then your net short-term and long-term gains.
- Read the tax on each type and the effective rate. The NIIT estimate uses taxable income as a rough proxy for modified AGI.
Formulas explained
Short-term gains (assets held one year or less) are added to ordinary income and taxed at your marginal rates. Long-term gains are stacked on top of ordinary income plus short-term gains, and each dollar is taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on where it falls relative to the thresholds.
| 2026 ordinary rate | Single: taxable income over | MFJ: over |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 | $0 |
| 12% | $12,400 | $24,800 |
| 22% | $50,400 | $100,800 |
| 24% | $105,700 | $211,400 |
| 32% | $201,775 | $403,550 |
| 35% | $256,225 | $512,450 |
| 37% | $640,600 | $768,700 |
| 2026 long-term rate | Single | MFJ | Head of household | MFS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% up to | $49,450 | $98,900 | $66,200 | $49,450 |
| 15% up to | $545,500 | $613,700 | $579,600 | $306,850 |
| 20% | above those amounts | |||
NIIT note: a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax applies to the smaller of net investment income or modified AGI above $200,000 (single/head of household), $250,000 (married filing jointly), or $125,000 (married filing separately). These thresholds are set by statute and are not indexed for inflation.
Sources: IRS, IR-2025-103 (Oct. 9, 2025) for 2026 ordinary brackets; Rev. Proc. 2025-32 §4.03 for 2026 capital-gains thresholds; IRS Topic 559 for the Net Investment Income Tax. Last checked Oct. 27, 2026.
Worked example Hypothetical
Hypothetical: single filer, $80,000 other taxable income, $5,000 short-term and $20,000 long-term gains. Short-term: the $5,000 is taxed at 22% = $1,100. Long-term: the base is already $85,000, above the $49,450 0% threshold, so all $20,000 is taxed at 15% = $3,000. Income stays under $200,000, so there is no NIIT. Total ≈ $4,100.
FAQ
Why only Single and MFJ for the full calculation?
Those ordinary-income brackets were verified from the IRS 2026 release. For head of household or married filing separately, use Custom rates. The long-term thresholds for all statuses are shown above for reference.
Does this include state tax?
No. Many states tax capital gains as ordinary income. Add your state rate separately.
What about collectibles or real estate depreciation?
Collectibles (up to 28%) and unrecaptured §1250 gain (up to 25%) have special rates that are not modeled here.
What counts as "other taxable income"?
Your taxable income after the standard or itemized deduction, excluding the gains entered here. For 2026 the IRS standard deduction is $16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ.
Capital gains tax estimator explained for beginners
What this tool does
It gives a rough estimate of US federal tax on investment gains for 2026, separating short-term and long-term gains because they are taxed differently.
What each input means
- Filing status
- Single, married filing jointly, and so on, as on your tax return.
- Other taxable income after deductions
- Your taxable income not counting these gains.
- Short-term gains
- Profit on investments held one year or less. Taxed like ordinary income.
- Long-term gains
- Profit on investments held more than one year. Taxed at lower 0%, 15% or 20% rates.
- Rates
- Optional overrides if you want to test a specific rate.
How to read the results
The tool shows estimated tax on each type of gain and the total. It is federal only and simplified; it does not include state tax or every special rule.
A short worked example (hypothetical)
If you are single with $60,000 of other taxable income and $5,000 of long-term gains, those gains would generally fall in the 15% bracket, about $750 in federal tax.
Common mistakes
- Treating it as tax advice. Check with a tax professional.
- Forgetting state taxes.
- Mixing up holding periods: one year or less is short-term.