Stock Capital Gains Tax Calculator 2026
Estimate the federal income tax attributable to a stock gain using 2026 ordinary-income brackets for short-term gains or the 0% / 15% / 20% long-term capital-gain thresholds.
2026 long-term capital-gain thresholds used
| Filing status | 0% maximum taxable income | 15% maximum taxable income |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $49,450 | $545,500 |
| Married filing jointly / qualifying surviving spouse | $98,900 | $613,700 |
| Married filing separately | $49,450 | $306,850 |
| Head of household | $66,200 | $579,600 |
Long-term capital gains are stacked above ordinary taxable income. That means one gain can span more than one capital-gain rate band.
How the calculation works
- Long-term: stack the entered gain above taxable ordinary income and allocate it across the 0%, 15% and 20% federal long-term capital-gain bands.
- Short-term: estimate the extra regular federal income tax caused by adding the gain to ordinary taxable income.
This is a focused federal estimator, not a tax-return calculator. It excludes state and local tax, the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax, capital losses and carryovers, qualified dividends, collectibles, qualified small-business stock, unrecaptured section 1250 gain, wash-sale adjustments and other special rules.
Primary sources
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 — 2026 capital-gain thresholds
- IRS Topic No. 409 — Capital gains and losses
Methodology & verification
- Tax year
- 2026.
- Long-term rates modeled
- 0%, 15% and 20% for most net capital gain.
- Short-term treatment
- Modeled as additional ordinary federal income tax.
- Input basis
- User supplies taxable ordinary income and taxable gain; basis is not calculated.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-17