Free calculator · tax year 2026
Capital gains tax calculator for retirees
How your long-term gains and qualified dividends split across the 0%, 15% and 20% rates this year, the federal tax they add, and how much more gain you could take at 0%.
Federal tax on gains and dividends, 2026: $1,528.
Federal tax on gains and dividends, 2026$1,528Plan withdrawals and Roth conversions together
See how cash, IRA, Roth and brokerage withdrawals cover spending, with federal and state tax.
Of $39,000 in long-term gains and qualified dividends, $39,000 at 0%. They still add $1,528 to your federal tax, because they make more of your Social Security taxable. You could take $44,613 more in long-term gains this year without paying a dollar more of federal tax.
| Taxable income | $54,290 |
| Gains and dividends at 0% | $39,000 |
| At 15% | $0 |
| At 20% | $0 |
| Net investment income tax | $0 |
| Federal tax they add | $1,528 |
“More gain still tax-free” counts everything a gain moves: more of your Social Security can turn taxable when your income rises, and that is included. State tax is not.
Calculations, not tax, legal or investment advice.
Capital gains tax rates and brackets 2026
The rate on long-term gains and qualified dividends depends on your taxable income, the gains included. These are the 2026 lines from Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
| Rate | Single, taxable income | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | Up to $49,450 | Up to $98,900 |
| 15% | $49,451 to $545,500 | $98,901 to $613,700 |
| 20% | Over $545,500 | Over $613,700 |
Head of household and married filing separately have their own lines in the same revenue procedure. Gains on assets held a year or less are taxed as ordinary income.
How to pay 0% on long-term gains
Taxable income is income after the standard deduction. A married couple both 65 or older in 2026 deducts at least $35,500, more with thesenior deduction, so their total income can be well above $98,900 with some gains still in the 0% band.
Gains sit on top of everything else. Every dollar of IRA withdrawal,Roth conversion or pension pushes gains out of the 0% band, so in a low-income year, before Social Security or RMDs, the room is largest.
Tax gain harvesting uses that room: sell an investment with a gain, pay 0%, and buy it back right away to reset the cost basis higher. The wash-sale rule only stops losses, not gains. The gain still raises your AGI, which can cost you ACA premium tax credit, push up Medicare IRMAA two years later, make more Social Security taxable, and be taxed by your state. The calculator above counts the Social Security part in “More gain still tax-free.”
Method and sources
Long-term gains and qualified dividends stack on top of your other taxable income. The part that fits under the 0% line is taxed at 0%, the part up to the 15% line at 15%, and the rest at 20%. The 3.8% net investment income tax applies to investment income above $200,000 of modified AGI single or $250,000 joint. The standard deduction, with the extra amounts at 65 and the senior deduction, comes off first. Short-term gains are ordinary income; enter them with interest.
Tables and sources
- Rev. Proc. 2025-32§4.01 Tables 1 and 3; §4.14(1) and (3); §4.03 · 2026 · www.irs.gov
- Schedule 1-A (Form 1040), Part V Enhanced Deduction for SeniorsSchedule 1-A Part V; IRC §151(d)(5)(C), effective 2025–2028 · 2026 · www.irs.gov
- IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement BenefitsIRC §86 base amounts; Pub 915 Worksheet 1; not indexed · 2026 · www.irs.gov
- CMS fact sheet: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (2025-11-14)Part B and Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts; set from MAGI two tax years earlier · 2026 · www.cms.gov
- HHS 2025 Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register 2025-01377); IRS Premium Tax Credit Q&A A72026 coverage uses the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines (48 states + DC); the enhanced credit lapsed after 2025, so eligibility stops above 400% FPL · www.federalregister.gov
MAGI calculatorA gain raises the income that sets IRMAA and the ACA credit. See each one against its line.
Open the calculatorRelated calculators and guides
- MAGI calculatorYour AGI and the three modified AGIs built from it, each against its line.
- Retiree tax calculatorFederal and state tax on Social Security, pensions, withdrawals and investment income.
- ACA subsidy calculatorYour MAGI against the poverty line, the premium tax credit and the room before it changes.
- IRMAA calculatorA year’s MAGI, the IRMAA tier it lands in and the surcharge it sets two years later.