2020-2021 Capital Gains Tax Rates

Posted on Aug 02, 2021

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Capital gains are the profits from the sale of an asset — shares of stock, a piece of land, a business — and generally are considered taxable income. How much these gains are taxed depends a lot on how long you held the asset before selling.

In 2020 the capital gains tax rates are either 0%, 15% or 20% for most assets held for more than a year. Capital gains tax rates on most assets held for less than a year correspond to ordinary income tax brackets (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% or 37%).

What is short-term capital gains tax?

Short-term capital gains tax is a tax on profits from the sale of an asset held for one year or less. The short-term capital gains tax rate equals your ordinary income tax rate — your tax bracket. 

What is long-term capital gains tax?

Long-term capital gains tax is a tax on profits from the sale of an asset held for more than a year. The long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%, 15% or 20% depending on your taxable income and filing status. They are generally lower than short-term capital gains tax rates.

How capital gains are calculated

  • Capital gains taxes can apply on investments, such as stocks or bonds, real estate (though usually not your home), cars, boats and other tangible items.
  • The money you make on the sale of any of these items is your capital gain. Money you lose is a capital loss. Our capital gains tax calculator can help you estimate your gains.
  • Capital gains taxes are progressive, similar to income taxes.