Capital Gains Tax
When you sell an investment asset for more than you paid, the profit is a capital gain — and the IRS taxes it differently depending on how long you held the asset. Short-term gains (held ≤1 year) are taxed as ordinary income (up to 37%). Long-term gains (held >1 year) get preferential rates: 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income. Our calculator applies the correct 2025 brackets for your filing status.
Impôt estimé dû
Plus-values à court terme vs. long terme : la différence
The IRS taxes capital gains differently depending on how long you held the asset before selling. Assets held for one year or less are considered short-term and are taxed as ordinary income — the same as your regular wages, using rates from 10% to 37%. Assets held for more than one year qualify for long-term capital gains rates, which are significantly lower: 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income.
This difference in tax treatment is a powerful incentive to hold investments longer. A high earner in the 32% ordinary income bracket would pay only 15% on long-term gains, saving nearly half the tax bill simply by waiting past the one-year mark. For this reason, timing the sale of appreciated assets is one of the most impactful tax planning decisions investors can make.
Comment réduire l'impôt sur les plus-values
Several legal strategies can minimize your capital gains tax liability. Tax-loss harvesting involves selling losing positions to offset your gains — up to $3,000 of losses beyond your gains can even offset ordinary income annually, with unlimited carryforward. Holding assets for more than a year to qualify for lower long-term rates is the most straightforward strategy for most investors.
Other approaches include using tax-advantaged accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s) where gains grow tax-deferred or tax-free, gifting appreciated assets to charity (avoiding the gain entirely), or timing sales to years when your income is lower — which can push you into the 0% long-term capital gains bracket. The 0% bracket applies to single filers with taxable income up to $47,025 and joint filers up to $94,050 in 2025.
À propos de Capital Gains Tax Calculator
When you sell an investment asset for more than you paid, the profit is a capital gain — and the IRS taxes it differently depending on how long you held the asset. Short-term gains (held ≤1 year) are taxed as ordinary income (up to 37%). Long-term gains (held >1 year) get preferential rates: 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income. Our calculator applies the correct 2025 brackets for your filing status.
Comment l'utiliser
- Enter the purchase price (cost basis) and sale price of the asset.
- Enter the holding period in months, or select short-term/long-term.
- Enter your total taxable income and filing status for bracket lookup.
- See the capital gain, applicable rate, and tax owed.
Formule et méthodologie
Capital gain = Sale price − Cost basis − Selling costs. Short-term: taxed at ordinary income rate. Long-term rates 2025: 0% (single ≤$48,350 / MFJ ≤$96,700), 15% (up to $533,400 / $600,050), 20% above. NIIT: additional 3.8% if AGI exceeds $200k/$250k.
Cas d'usage courants
- Estimating tax on selling stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds
- Deciding whether to wait past the 1-year mark before selling
- Planning a Roth conversion around capital gains
- Calculating tax on selling a rental property or investment real estate
- Tax-loss harvesting: understanding how losses offset gains
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