IRS figures, with the source

Capital gains tax rates for 2026 and 2025

When you sell an investment for more than you paid, the profit is a capital gain. If you held it for more than a year, the gain is taxed at one of three lower rates: 0%, 15% or 20%. Which one depends on your taxable income, as the tables below show.

Tax year 2026 (returns filed in 2027): long-term capital gains rate by taxable income
Filing status	0% rate	15% rate	20% rate
Single	Up to $49,450	Over $49,450 to $545,500	Over $545,500
Married filing jointly (or qualifying surviving spouse)	Up to $98,900	Over $98,900 to $613,700	Over $613,700
Married filing separately	Up to $49,450	Over $49,450 to $306,850	Over $306,850
Head of household	Up to $66,200	Over $66,200 to $579,600	Over $579,600

Tax year 2025 (returns filed in 2026): long-term capital gains rate by taxable income
Filing status	0% rate	15% rate	20% rate
Single	Up to $48,350	Over $48,350 to $533,400	Over $533,400
Married filing jointly (or qualifying surviving spouse)	Up to $96,700	Over $96,700 to $600,050	Over $600,050
Married filing separately	Up to $48,350	Over $48,350 to $300,000	Over $300,000
Head of household	Up to $64,750	Over $64,750 to $566,700	Over $566,700

Thresholds are your taxable income, after deductions, and include the gain itself. “Married filing jointly” also covers a qualifying surviving spouse.

Short-term and long-term, in one line each

Long-term: you held the investment for more than one year, and the 0%, 15% or 20% rates apply. Short-term: you held it one year or less, and the gain does not get those rates. It is added to your other income and taxed through the regular tax brackets.

A simple example for a single filer in 2026: ordinary taxable income of $30,000 plus a $10,000 long-term gain makes $40,000 of taxable income, which is under $49,450, so the gain is taxed at 0%.

Where these numbers come from

Rev. Proc. 2025-32, 2026 inflation adjustments, including the changes made by Public Law 119-21 (the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act). Published October 9, 2025. irs.gov
Rev. Proc. 2024-40, 2025 inflation adjustments. Published October 22, 2024. irs.gov
IRS Tax Topic 409, Capital gains and losses. Published page last reviewed September 24, 2026. irs.gov

The 2026 thresholds appear in Revenue Procedure 2025-32 only; the IRS newsroom release and Form 1040-ES do not repeat them. The 2025 thresholds are in Revenue Procedure 2024-40 and in IRS Tax Topic 409.

Keep going

Tax brackets

The rates that apply to short-term gains and ordinary income.

401(k) and IRA limits

Gains inside these accounts are treated differently.

Estimate your federal tax

A simple estimate for ordinary income.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the long-term capital gains tax rates for 2026?

0%, 15% or 20%, depending on your taxable income. For a single filer in 2026 the 0% rate applies to taxable income up to $49,450, the 15% rate up to $545,500, and 20% above that. For married couples filing jointly the 0% rate goes up to $98,900 and the 20% rate starts over $613,700. The source is IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32.

What are the capital gains rates for 2025?

The same three rates. For a single filer in 2025 the 0% rate applies to taxable income up to $48,350, the 15% rate up to $533,400, and 20% above that, from IRS Revenue Procedure 2024-40.

What counts as a long-term capital gain?

The IRS says that, generally, if you hold an asset for more than one year before you dispose of it, your gain or loss is long-term. If you hold it one year or less, it is short-term. Short-term gains do not get the special 0%, 15% and 20% rates.

Are the thresholds about my gain or my total income?

They are about your taxable income, which includes the gain. The rate that applies depends on where your taxable income falls in the table, so a gain on top of a larger income can land in the 15% range even if the gain itself is small.

When will the 2027 capital gains thresholds be published?

With the IRS's yearly inflation adjustments, which came out on October 22, 2024 for 2025 and October 9, 2025 for 2026. As of October 14, 2026 we had not found the 2027 figures, and we will add them when the IRS publishes them.