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Crypto Tax Calculator
Estimate the US federal capital gains tax on a crypto sale. Enter your proceeds, cost basis and how long you held, then press Calculate to see the tax and your profit after tax.
Written by TopicDrill Editorial Team·Updated June 2026
Gain taxed by rate band
Long-term 0% / 15% / 20%Advertisement
How the crypto tax calculator works
The calculator starts with your capital gain, which is the sale proceeds minus your cost basis. If you held the coins for one year or less, that gain is short-term and is taxed at the ordinary income rate you supply. If you held longer, the gain is long-term and runs through the preferential 0, 15 and 20 percent bands instead.
For long-term gains the tool stacks the gain on top of your other taxable income, because the bands are filled by total income. The bar chart then shows how much of the gain lands in each rate band, making it clear why two people with the same gain can owe very different amounts.
A worked example
Say you are single with $60,000 of taxable income and sell crypto for an $8,000 long-term gain. The 0 percent band for a single filer ends around $47,025, which your income has already passed, so the whole gain falls in the 15 percent band. The estimated tax is about $1,200, leaving roughly $6,800 of profit after tax.
Things to keep in mind
This is an estimate of the federal capital gains piece only. It does not include state tax, the net investment income tax, or wash-sale style rules, and brackets shift each year. Treat the number as a planning guide and confirm specifics with the IRS digital assets guidance or a tax professional. To work out the gain itself from a trade first, use our crypto ROI calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between short-term and long-term crypto tax?
It comes down to how long you held the coins before selling. Hold one year or less and the gain is short-term, taxed at your ordinary income rate. Hold more than one year and it becomes long-term, taxed at the lower 0, 15 or 20 percent capital gains rates.
How do the long-term capital gains brackets work?
The long-term rate depends on your total taxable income, not the gain alone. Your gain is stacked on top of your other income, then it fills the 0 percent band first, the 15 percent band next, and only the part above the upper breakpoint is taxed at 20 percent.
What is cost basis and why does it matter?
Cost basis is what you originally paid for the crypto, including purchase fees. Your taxable gain is the sale proceeds minus that basis. A higher basis means a smaller gain and a smaller tax bill, which is why keeping accurate purchase records is so valuable.
What happens if I sold crypto at a loss?
When your proceeds are below your cost basis you have a capital loss, and there is no gain to tax. Losses can offset other capital gains and, within limits, a portion of ordinary income, so they are worth tracking even though this tool focuses on the gain itself.
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