Estimated tax after selling stock

Enter your wages, the basis and proceeds of the sale, and what you have already paid. The result isolates the federal tax the sale generates, including the net investment income tax, and shows your balance due or refund for the year.

How this sale shifts your brackets

Marginal rate 24%

$37,875 until the 32% bracket

How this is calculated

Full detail in methodology.

The sale's gain is proceeds − cost basis. Held longer than twelve months it is a long-term capital gain, taxed under IRC §1(h) at 0%, 15%, or 20%, stacked on top of your ordinary income. Held twelve months or less it is ordinary income taxed at your marginal bracket.

Where AGI exceeds the §1411 thresholds ($200,000 single, $250,000 married filing jointly), the gain also attracts the 3.8% net investment income tax. Wages carry FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to the wage base and 1.45% Medicare, plus 0.9% additional Medicare above $200k / $250k.

The number shown as "balance due" is the year's total federal tax minus withholding and estimated payments. It is an estimate for planning. It does not include state tax, AMT, or deductions beyond the standard deduction.

[1] IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 annual inflation adjustments: ordinary brackets, standard deduction, AMT exemption, capital-gains breakpoints.
[2] IRC §1411 — Net Investment Income Tax: 3.8% tax on the lesser of net investment income or the excess of MAGI over the statutory threshold.
[3] IRC §1(h) — Capital gains tax rates: Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends taxed on the preferential 0/15/20% schedule.
[4] IRS Publication 505: Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax — the reference for the figures this calculator uses.

TaxGhost

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