Stock Profit Calculator
United States Uses U.S. IRS retirement-account and federal deposit rules. Figures are in U.S. dollars.
Stock profit calculator: profit, ROI and break-even price, short- or long-term from your dates, 2026 capital gains tax, and what waiting to sell would save.
Educational estimate only. Not a lending decision. Your numbers stay in this browser.
Results
How to read this: the verdict describes how much room your numbers leave, not a decision or an offer. Change any input to see how much the result moves.
Investing and retirement guides
These guides explain compounding, contribution projections, retirement targets, inflation, and real returns.
- Compound interest explained
- Investment return with contributions
- Retirement savings target
- Inflation and real returns
For all guide topics, open Guides. For source and estimate boundaries, read Calculation Methodology and Sources and Assumptions.
Assumptions and formula
Profit is the sale proceeds less the sale commission, minus the purchase cost and its commission; return on investment divides it by the cost, and the annualized return spreads it over the days held. The term follows IRS Publication 550: more than one year, counting from the day after purchase, is long-term.
Short-term gains are taxed at the 2026 income-tax brackets and long-term gains at 0%, 15% or 20% at the Rev. Proc. 2025-32 breakpoints, both stacked on the taxable income you enter, with the 3.8% net investment income tax above $200,000 ($250,000 joint). A loss offsets up to $3,000 of other income ($1,500 married filing separately) and the rest carries forward.
Worked example
100 shares bought at $150 on 3 November 2025 and sold at $195 on 15 September 2026: a $4,500 profit, 30%, held 316 days, so short-term. On $75,000 of taxable income as a single filer the federal tax is $990. Sold on or after 4 November 2026, 50 days later, it would be long-term at 15%: $675, saving $315.
The gain needed to recover from a loss
Percentage losses and gains are not symmetrical. A position that falls by a given percentage needs a larger percentage gain to get back to where it started, because the gain is earned on a smaller balance.
| Loss | Gain needed to break even |
|---|---|
| −10% | +11.1% |
| −20% | +25.0% |
| −25% | +33.3% |
| −30% | +42.9% |
| −40% | +66.7% |
| −50% | +100.0% |
| −60% | +150.0% |
| −75% | +300.0% |
| −90% | +900.0% |
A 10% drop needs an 11.1% gain to recover, which is close enough to ignore. A 50% drop needs the price to double. That asymmetry is why position sizing and diversification matter: one holding that falls 75% needs to quadruple just to break even, while the same loss spread across a portfolio is far easier to recover from.
For tax, what counts is the gain or loss realized when you sell, measured against your cost basis including any commissions. Holding for more than a year before selling makes a gain long-term, which is usually taxed at a lower rate than a short-term gain. Realized losses offset gains first, and up to $3,000 of any net loss a year can offset ordinary income, with the rest carried forward. The calculator shows both the holding period and the date a position becomes long-term.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving commissions and fees out of the cost basis. They reduce your gain, and your tax, so include them on both the purchase and the sale.
- Selling a day too early. A gain on shares held for one year or less is short-term and taxed as ordinary income; waiting until the holding period passes a year can cut the tax substantially.
- Triggering the wash-sale rule. If you sell at a loss and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 days before or after, the loss is disallowed for now and added to the new shares’ cost basis.
Frequently asked questions
Does the calculator know if my gain is short-term or long-term?
Yes, from the dates: more than one year counting from the day after you bought is long-term. If a short-term gain is close, it shows the first long-term date and the tax you would save.
How do I calculate profit on a stock?
Multiply the shares by the sale price, take off the sale commission, then subtract what you paid including the purchase commission. 100 shares bought at $150 and sold at $195 is a $4,500 profit, a 30% return.
How long do I have to hold a stock for long-term capital gains?
More than one year. The IRS counts from the day after you buy, so shares bought on 3 November 2025 are long-term if sold on or after 4 November 2026 (Publication 550).
How much tax will I pay on my stock profit?
Short-term gains are taxed like wages, at 10% to 37%. Long-term gains are taxed at 0%, 15% or 20%: for a single filer in 2026, 0% up to $49,450 of taxable income and 15% up to $545,500. Above $200,000 of income, 3.8% net investment income tax is added.
Is it worth waiting to sell for long-term gains?
Often. A $4,500 short-term gain on $75,000 of income costs $990 in federal tax; held 50 more days it would cost $675. The risk is the price falling while you wait.
Can I deduct a stock loss?
Yes. Losses first offset other gains, then up to $3,000 of other income a year; the rest carries forward to later years.
Is this a stock gain calculator?
Yes: a stock profit calculator, stock calculator, stock gain calculator and stock return calculator, with the tax worked out from your dates.
Sources
Sources reviewed 4 October 2026: checked against their current editions on that date.
- IRS Publication 550 (2025), Investment Income and Expenses: holding period and the $3,000 capital loss limit.
- Rev. Proc. 2025-32 §4.03: 2026 maximum zero-rate and 15%-rate amounts for capital gains.
- 26 USC 1411: 3.8% net investment income tax.
This page is an educational estimate, not personal financial or tax advice. Eligibility and individual circumstances can change the result.