What are the 2025 long-term capital gains tax rates?

For 2025, single filers pay 0% on gains up to $48,350, 15% on gains from $48,351 to $533,400, and 20% above $533,400. Married filing jointly: 0% up to $96,700, 15% up to $600,050, and 20% above. These thresholds are based on taxable income including the gain.

Do I pay capital gains on my primary residence?

You can exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 if married filing jointly) on the sale of your primary residence if you've lived there for at least 2 of the past 5 years. This is one of the most valuable tax breaks available to homeowners.

Capital Gains Tax Calculator 2025

Q: Can capital losses offset gains?

Yes. Capital losses offset capital gains dollar-for-dollar. If you have more losses than gains, you can deduct up to $3,000 of net capital losses against ordinary income per year. Excess losses carry forward to future tax years indefinitely.

See how much tax you'll owe on your investment gains — long-term or short-term.

Long-term gain (held > 1 year)

Purchase price

Sale price

Filing status

Improvements / costs

Capital improvements that increase cost basis

—

2025 federal rates. Does not include NIIT (3.8%) or state capital gains tax.

How to Use This Calculator

Long-Term tab

Enter the purchase price (cost basis) and sale price of your asset held for more than one year. Select your filing status to apply the correct long-term capital gains brackets (0%, 15%, or 20%). The calculator instantly shows your tax owed and net proceeds.

Short-Term tab

Enter the purchase price and sale price of your asset held for one year or less. Short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income, so the calculator applies federal income tax brackets based on your filing status.

Filing status

Single — unmarried, or legally separated
Married Filing Jointly — married couples filing one return (usually the lowest tax)
Head of Household — unmarried with a qualifying dependent you support

More Options

Expand "More options" to enter improvements (capital improvements that increase your cost basis, such as renovations on a property). These reduce your taxable gain.

Share your result

Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share, send the link — they'll see your exact numbers. No re-entering, no screenshots.

The Formula

Capital gains tax depends on how long you held the asset. Long-term gains (held over 1 year) get preferential rates. Short-term gains (held 1 year or less) are taxed as ordinary income.

Capital Gain = Sale Price − Purchase Price − Improvements

Long-Term Tax = Gain × Long-Term Rate (0%, 15%, or 20%)
Short-Term Tax = Gain taxed at ordinary income brackets

2025 Long-Term Capital Gains Thresholds — Single

0%$0 – $48,350

15%$48,351 – $533,400

20%$533,401+

2025 Long-Term Capital Gains Thresholds — Married Filing Jointly

0%$0 – $96,700

15%$96,701 – $600,050

20%$600,051+

Example

Rachel — selling stock held for 2 years

Rachel bought stock for $50,000 and sold it for $80,000 after holding it for 2 years. She files as single with no improvements.

Long-Term Capital Gains

Purchase price$50,000

Sale price$80,000

Capital gain$30,000

Long-term rate15%

Capital gains tax$4,500

Net proceeds$75,500

Rachel's $30,000 gain falls within the 15% long-term bracket for single filers. She pays $4,500 in capital gains tax and keeps $75,500.

What if Rachel held less than 1 year?

If Rachel sold the same stock before the 1-year mark, her $30,000 gain would be taxed as ordinary income (short-term capital gains).

Short-Term Capital Gains

Capital gain$30,000

Tax treatmentOrdinary income brackets

Approximate tax~$5,600

Net proceeds~$74,400

Short-term gains cost Rachel roughly $1,100 more in taxes — the penalty for not holding the asset longer than one year.

FAQ

What's the difference between long-term and short-term capital gains rates? ▼

Long-term capital gains apply to assets held for more than one year and are taxed at preferential rates: 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on your taxable income and filing status. Short-term capital gains apply to assets held for one year or less and are taxed at your ordinary income tax rates (10% to 37%). Holding an asset longer than a year can significantly reduce your tax bill.

Can I exclude capital gains on my primary residence? ▼

Yes. If you've owned and lived in your home as your primary residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain (single) or $500,000 (married filing jointly) from capital gains tax. This is known as the Section 121 exclusion. Any gain above the exclusion amount is taxed at capital gains rates.

Can I offset capital gains with capital losses? ▼

Yes — this is called tax-loss harvesting. Capital losses offset capital gains dollar-for-dollar. If your losses exceed your gains, you can deduct up to $3,000 of net capital losses against ordinary income per year ($1,500 if married filing separately). Any remaining losses carry forward to future tax years indefinitely.

What is the wash sale rule? ▼

The wash sale rule prevents you from claiming a tax loss if you buy a "substantially identical" security within 30 days before or after the sale. If triggered, the disallowed loss is added to the cost basis of the replacement shares instead of being deducted. This rule applies to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and options — but currently does not apply to cryptocurrency.

Related Calculators

Add This Calculator to Your Website

Embed the sum.money capital gains tax calculator on your site. Free, responsive, always up-to-date.