Capital Gains Tax Calculator
Tax owed on an investment gain, and what you keep after it.
Your figures
Result
How to use this tool
- Enter your own figures over the defaults — Purchase price, Sale price, Capital gains tax rate.
- The answer updates as you type. There is no button, and nothing is sent anywhere.
- Change Capital gains tax rate on its own to see how much it moves the result — the worked example below shows exactly that.
Most systems tax long-held assets at a lower rate than short-term gains. Enter the rate that applies to your holding period and income band.
How it works
This takes 3 inputs — purchase price, sale price, capital gains tax rate — and returns tax owed, gross gain and net after tax. The whole calculation happens in this page as you type: there is no submit button, no request, and nothing stored.
Because it recalculates on every keystroke you can use it as a sensitivity test rather than a one-shot answer. Moving capital gains tax rate alone from 15 to 16 changes tax owed from 1,200.00 to 1,280.00 — the worked example below sets that out in full.
A worked example
Worked through with the figures the page already has in it: purchase price of 10,000 and sale price of 18,000, and the rest as shown, giving tax owed of 1,200.00. These numbers come from running the calculator’s own code, not from being typed in here, so they cannot drift away from what you see on screen.
Starting from:
- Purchase price: 10,000
- Sale price: 18,000
- Capital gains tax rate: 15 %
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Tax owed | 1,200.00 |
| Gross gain | 8,000.00 |
| Net after tax | 6,800.00 |
What happens when one input moves
Holding everything else steady and changing Capital gains tax rate from 15 % to 16 % — one percentage point — moves the answer like this:
| Figure | 15 % | 16 % |
|---|---|---|
| Tax owed | 1,200.00 | 1,280.00 |
| Gross gain | 8,000.00 | 8,000.00 |
| Net after tax | 6,800.00 | 6,720.00 |
That is usually the number worth arguing over: it is easier to move than the headline amount, and the difference compounds across the whole term.
Capital Gains Tax Calculator — frequently asked questions
What rate applies to me?
It depends on holding period and income. In the US, assets held over a year are taxed at long-term rates of 0%, 15% or 20% depending on income; shorter holdings are taxed as ordinary income.
Can I offset losses?
In most systems yes — capital losses offset capital gains, and some allow a limited amount against ordinary income. Enter your net gain after offsetting.
What about my primary residence?
Many countries offer a substantial exemption on a main home. This calculator does not model that.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, with no account, no limits and no data collection. It runs entirely in your browser.
Should I rely on this for a financial or medical decision?
No. It is a planning estimate built on standard formulas and stated assumptions. For decisions that matter, speak to a qualified professional who can account for your full circumstances.
How accurate is the Capital Gains Tax figure?
The arithmetic is exact. With the defaults on this page — purchase price 10000, sale price 18000, capital gains tax rate 15 % — it returns tax owed of 1,200.00. What limits accuracy is the assumptions, not the maths: change capital gains tax rate to 16 % and the same formula gives 1,280.00. Treat it as a well-founded estimate, not a quotation.
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Background reading: Loan, Mortgage and Investment Calculators Explained
Nothing is sent anywhere. The figures you type stay in this page and are never transmitted or stored — how that works.
Disclaimer. The formula is exact; the answer is only as good as the figures and assumptions above. Not financial, tax, medical or legal advice. Full disclaimer.