Crypto Tax Calculator 2025–2026
Sold crypto at a gain or a loss? Estimate the federal tax on your sale, and compare short-term and long-term rates.
Works out one sale at a time.
How crypto is taxed
The IRS treats crypto as property. When you sell it, swap it for another coin or spend it, you have a capital gain or loss: what you got for it, minus what it cost you. Held one year or less, a gain is short-term and taxed like wages, at 10% to 37%. Held more than a year, it is long-term and taxed at 0%, 15% or 20%.
Crypto you receive as pay, or from mining, staking or an airdrop, is income at its value on the day you get it, and that value becomes its cost when you later sell it.
2026 long-term capital gains tax rates
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse | Married filing separately | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0 to $49,450 | $0 to $98,900 | $0 to $49,450 | $0 to $66,200 |
| 15% | $49,451 to $545,500 | $98,901 to $613,700 | $49,451 to $306,850 | $66,201 to $579,600 |
| 20% | Over $545,500 | Over $613,700 | Over $306,850 | Over $579,600 |
2025 long-term capital gains tax rates
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse | Married filing separately | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0 to $48,350 | $0 to $96,700 | $0 to $48,350 | $0 to $64,750 |
| 15% | $48,351 to $533,400 | $96,701 to $600,050 | $48,351 to $300,000 | $64,751 to $566,700 |
| 20% | Over $533,400 | Over $600,050 | Over $300,000 | Over $566,700 |
By taxable income. The 3.8% net investment income tax can apply on top, above $200,000 of income ($250,000 married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse, $125,000 married filing separately).
Frequently asked questions
How is cryptocurrency taxed?
The IRS treats crypto as property. Selling it, swapping it for another coin, or spending it on goods or services is a taxable sale: you have a gain or loss equal to what you got for it minus your cost basis.
What is the difference between short-term and long-term gains?
Crypto held one year or less is short-term and taxed at your ordinary income tax rate, from 10% to 37%. Held more than one year, it is long-term and taxed at 0%, 15% or 20%, depending on your income.
Do I pay tax if I just buy and hold crypto?
No. Buying crypto with dollars and holding it is not taxed. Tax comes when you sell, swap or spend it, or when you receive it as income.
Is crypto I am paid with taxable?
Yes. Crypto you get for work, as mining or staking rewards, or from an airdrop is income at its fair market value when you receive it. That value becomes your cost basis when you later sell it. If you earned it as a freelancer, self-employment tax applies too.
Can crypto losses lower my taxes?
Yes. Losses offset your capital gains first, then up to $3,000 a year ($1,500 if married filing separately) of other income. Any loss left over carries forward to future years.
What forms do I need for crypto taxes?
You report each sale on Form 8949 and the totals on Schedule D of your Form 1040. Crypto exchanges send Form 1099-DA for sales from 2025 on, and every return asks whether you had digital asset transactions.
Is there an extra tax for higher incomes?
Yes. The 3.8% net investment income tax applies to gains when your income is over $200,000 ($250,000 married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse, $125,000 married filing separately). This calculator includes it.
Do I owe state tax on crypto?
Most states tax capital gains as regular income. This calculator estimates federal tax only.
More tax calculators and money-saving tools
See all tax tools- Tax CalculatorSee your estimated refund, or what you may owe, for this year or last.
- Tax Bracket CalculatorFind your federal tax bracket and your effective tax rate.
- W-4 Withholding CalculatorCheck the tax taken out of your paycheck and see what to change on your W-4.
- Self-Employed Tax CalculatorEstimate your self-employment tax, income tax and quarterly payments.
- Self-Employed Tax Deductions CalculatorFind the write-offs for your line of work, and what they save you.
- Tax Reform CalculatorSee how the new tax law, in effect since 2025, changes your taxes, line by line.
Have a lot of crypto trades?
Our tax experts can match your exchange records to your Form 1099-DA, work out the cost of every sale, and report it all correctly on your return.
These calculators give estimates of federal tax for planning, not tax advice. Pinnacle Tax Professionals confirms the final numbers when we prepare your return.
