Capital Gains Tax Estimator
Estimate gains tax with short-term and long-term holding treatment separated.
Capital Gains Tax Calculator
USA · UK · India — short-term & long-term rates · 100% client-side
Holding Period
Estimate only. Does not include surcharges, cess, state taxes, indexation benefit calculations, or carry-forward losses. Consult a tax adviser before filing.
Calculating a gain
The taxable gain is proceeds minus cost base, where cost base includes acquisition costs.
gain = proceeds − (purchase price + acquisition costs + improvement costs)
- proceeds
- Sale price net of selling costs
- purchase price
- What you originally paid
- acquisition costs
- Brokerage, stamp duty, legal fees on purchase
- improvement costs
- Capital improvements, for property — not maintenance
Worked example
- Sold for
- 80,000 (net of 1,000 costs)
- Purchase price
- 50,000
- Acquisition costs
- 1,500
- Cost base
- 51,500
- Gain
- 28,500
Taxable gain 28,500, before any annual exemption
Holding period usually matters a great deal. Many jurisdictions tax short-term gains at full income tax rates and long-term gains at a substantially lower rate — in some countries long-held assets are exempt entirely. Check the threshold before selling; a few weeks can change the bill materially.
Things that change the answer
- Annual exemptions —Many countries provide a tax-free allowance each year. Spreading disposals across tax years can use more than one.
- Loss offsetting —Losses can usually be set against gains, and often carried forward indefinitely. Realising a loss deliberately to offset a gain is legitimate — but watch wash sale rules if you intend to rebuy.
- Cost base method —FIFO, average cost or specific identification give different results when you bought in tranches. Which you may use is set by your jurisdiction, not by preference.
- Principal residence relief —Most countries exempt your main home, fully or partly. Rules on periods of absence and letting are detailed.
- Tax-sheltered accounts —Gains inside a pension or ISA-equivalent are usually outside CGT entirely.
- Inherited and gifted assets —The cost base may reset to market value at death, or carry over from the donor. This varies by country and materially changes the gain.
About
The Capital Gains Tax Calculator computes the tax owed when you sell an asset — stocks, mutual funds, property, bonds, or other investments — for more than you paid. It supports three major jurisdictions: USA (2024 long-term rates of 0%/15%/20% based on income, and short-term at ordinary income rates), UK (2024/25 rates of 10%/20% for assets or 18%/28% for residential property, with a £3,000 annual exemption), and India (equity LTCG at 10% above ₹1 lakh exemption, equity STCG at 15%, and debt gains at slab rate or 20%). Enter your purchase price, sale price, quantity, and holding period to see the gain, applicable tax rate, tax owed, and net gain after tax.
How to use
- 1 Select your country (USA, UK, or India) and the asset type (equity, property, debt, or other).
- 2 Enter the purchase price and sale price per unit, and the quantity of units sold.
- 3 Enter your annual income — this determines your long-term CGT rate in the USA and whether you are a basic or higher-rate taxpayer in the UK.
- 4 Select whether the holding period is short-term or long-term (thresholds vary by country and asset type).
- 5 The calculator shows your capital gain or loss, the applicable tax rate, tax owed, and net gain after tax.
- 6 The rule applied (e.g., "Equity LTCG Section 112A") is shown below the results for reference.
- What counts as long-term vs short-term in each country?
- USA: assets held more than 1 year qualify for long-term rates. UK: there is no distinction — all gains are taxed at the same CGT rates regardless of holding period, though the annual exemption (£3,000 in 2024/25) applies to all. India: for listed equity and equity mutual funds, more than 1 year is long-term; for debt funds and bonds, more than 3 years is long-term; for property, more than 2 years is long-term.
- What is the annual CGT exemption in the UK?
- In 2024/25, UK individuals have an Annual Exempt Amount of £3,000 — gains below this threshold are tax-free. This was reduced from £12,300 in 2022/23 and £6,000 in 2023/24. The exemption cannot be carried forward to future years. After applying the exemption, gains are taxed at 10% (basic rate) or 20% (higher/additional rate) for most assets, or 18%/28% for residential property.
- Does this tool account for indexation benefit in India?
- Indexation adjusts the purchase price upward for inflation using the Cost Inflation Index (CII), reducing the taxable gain on long-term debt assets. This tool uses a flat 20% rate for debt LTCG as a simplified estimate. For accurate indexation calculations, use the actual CII values published by the Income Tax Department and adjust your cost of acquisition accordingly before entering the purchase price.
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