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Capital Gains Calculator

Work out the gain on a sale, estimate the tax at your rate, and see your after-tax profit. Enter the cost basis, sale price and your tax rate, then press Calculate.

Written by TopicDrill Editorial Team·Updated June 2026

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Sale details

Fill in the details, then press Calculate.

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After-tax profit

$4,165.00

Capital gain$4,900.00
Tax owed$735.00

Net proceeds $14,900.00 · After-tax return 41.6% on cost basis.

How your gain splits

After-tax profit$4,165.00 (85.0%)
Capital gains tax$735.00 (15.0%)

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How the capital gains calculator works

The calculator subtracts your selling costs from the sale price to get net proceeds, then subtracts your cost basis to find the capital gain. It applies your chosen tax rate to any positive gain and shows the tax owed alongside your after-tax profit.

Choosing long term or short term simply suggests a typical default rate, which you can override with your own figure. The split chart shows how much of your gain you keep versus how much goes to tax, which makes the cost of selling easy to see.

A quick example

Buy an asset for $10,000 and sell it for $15,000 with $100 in selling costs. Your net proceeds are $14,900 and your gain is $4,900. At a 15% long term rate the tax is $735, leaving an after-tax profit of about $4,165.

Things to keep in mind

This is an estimate. Actual capital gains tax depends on your total income, filing status and the rules in your jurisdiction, so treat the result as a planning tool and confirm with a tax professional. For official guidance, the Internal Revenue Service is the authoritative source. You can also explore our other free calculators.

Frequently asked questions

What is a capital gain?

A capital gain is the profit you make when you sell an asset for more than you paid for it. The amount is your net sale proceeds minus your cost basis. If you sell for less than your basis, you have a capital loss instead.

What is cost basis?

Cost basis is generally what you originally paid for an asset, including purchase costs. Subtracting it from your net proceeds gives your taxable gain. Keeping accurate records of basis is important because it directly reduces the gain you are taxed on.

What is the difference between long term and short term gains?

Short term gains apply to assets held one year or less and are usually taxed at higher ordinary income rates. Long term gains apply to assets held longer than a year and often qualify for lower tax rates, which is why holding period matters.

Are capital losses useful?

Yes. Capital losses can offset capital gains, which lowers the amount you are taxed on, and limited net losses may offset other income. This calculator shows a loss as a negative result so you can see when a sale would not generate a taxable gain.

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