Crypto Tax Calculator
Estimate US capital gains tax owed on cryptocurrency sales by applying the tax rate to the capital gain. Use it as a back-of-envelope projection of your tax bill from realized crypto profits — actual reporting requires per-transaction tracking across all exchanges and wallets.
Last updated: May 2026
Compare with similar
About this calculator
The formula is: estimated tax = capital gains × (tax rate ÷ 100). Capital gains here is the realized gain (sell price minus cost basis) for a specific tax-event. Multiplying by the applicable rate gives the federal capital-gains tax estimate. The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property, so each sale, trade, or spend of crypto triggers a capital-gains event taxed similarly to stock sales. Short-term capital gains (assets held one year or less) are taxed at ordinary income rates: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, or 37% depending on taxable income bracket. Long-term capital gains (held more than one year) get preferential rates: 0% for taxable income under $47,025 single / $94,050 joint, 15% for most middle-income filers, 20% for high earners (over $518,900 single / $583,750 joint in 2024). High earners also face the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) on top of standard rates. State capital-gains tax adds 0-13% depending on state (California taxes capital gains as ordinary income at up to 13.3%, while Texas, Florida, Washington, etc. have no state income tax). Edge cases: capital losses produce negative gains, which can offset other capital gains and up to $3,000 of ordinary income per year, with excess carrying forward. The formula doesn't handle: capital loss netting, NIIT, state tax, wash-sale rules (which currently don't apply to crypto in the US — a notable opportunity for tax-loss harvesting), or staking/mining income (taxed as ordinary income at fair market value when received). For 2026, the IRS Form 1099-DA brokerage reporting begins — significantly increasing compliance enforcement.
How to use
Example 1 — Long-term gain at 15%. You realized $25,000 of long-term capital gains from BTC sales (held over 1 year). At your taxable income level, the long-term rate is 15%. Enter 25000 for Capital Gains and 15 for Tax Rate. Result: $3,750 estimated federal tax. Verify: 25000 × 15 / 100 = $3,750. ✓ Add state capital-gains tax if applicable (California another 9-13%; Texas/Florida 0%). Also potentially the 3.8% NIIT for high earners, bringing federal rate to 18.8%. Example 2 — Short-term gain at ordinary rate. You realized $8,500 of short-term gains (held under 1 year) and your marginal ordinary income tax rate is 24%. Enter 8500 and 24. Result: $2,040. Verify: 8500 × 24 / 100 = $2,040. ✓ Compare to long-term treatment at 15%: $1,275. The difference ($765) is the cost of selling before 1-year holding. Holding 2-3 more months to qualify for long-term rates often saves 7-22 percentage points of tax — for large positions, this can mean thousands of dollars in tax savings for a small change in timing.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between short-term and long-term capital gains?
Holding period determines the rate. Short-term (asset held one year or less from acquisition to sale) gains are taxed at your ordinary income rate (10-37% in 2024). Long-term (held more than one year) gains get preferential rates: 0% for taxable income under $47,025 single / $94,050 joint, 15% for most middle-income, 20% for high earners. The difference can be enormous — a high earner selling $100,000 of long-term gain pays $20,000 federal tax; the same gain short-term pays $37,000, a $17,000 swing from holding period alone. The 1-year holding period begins the day AFTER you acquired the crypto and includes the day you dispose of it. Planning sales around the 1-year mark is often the single largest tax-optimization decision for crypto investors with appreciated positions.
Is every crypto transaction taxable?
Every disposition is a taxable event in the US — selling crypto for fiat, trading one crypto for another (BTC for ETH), spending crypto on goods or services, and exchanging crypto for NFTs. Many investors are surprised that crypto-to-crypto trades are taxable; the IRS treats this as selling crypto A for fiat at fair market value, then using that fiat to buy crypto B. Both legs of the trade can have capital gains implications. Receiving crypto as income (mining, staking rewards, airdrops, payment for services) is taxable as ordinary income at fair market value when received. Buying crypto with fiat, transferring between your own wallets, and giving as a gift (within annual exemption limits) are NOT taxable events. Holding crypto without selling is NOT taxable even if it has appreciated significantly. Tracking these distinctions accurately requires dedicated crypto tax software for active traders.
Can I tax-loss harvest with crypto?
Yes, and crypto has a major advantage over stocks: the wash-sale rule (which disallows claiming a loss if you rebuy the same security within 30 days) currently does NOT apply to crypto in the US. This means you can sell a losing position to realize the loss for tax purposes, then immediately rebuy the same coin without losing the deduction. Losses offset other capital gains (1:1) and up to $3,000 of ordinary income per year, with excess carrying forward indefinitely. Active tax-loss harvesting on crypto can save substantial tax — selling losing altcoins to offset gains on profitable BTC trades, for example. This wash-sale exemption is controversial and may be eliminated by future legislation (the Biden 2023 budget proposed extending wash-sale rules to crypto); take advantage while it lasts. Coordinate with a tax professional for high-volume strategies.
What are the most common mistakes people make with crypto taxes?
The biggest is not reporting crypto-to-crypto trades; many traders assume only crypto-to-fiat is taxable when in fact every swap is a separate taxable event. The second is using simplified average-cost-basis methods when specific-identification (sell the highest-cost-basis lots first) could significantly reduce tax. The third is forgetting staking rewards, mining income, and airdrops which are taxable as ordinary income when received, not when later sold. The fourth is losing track of cost basis across exchanges and wallets; without records, the IRS may default to $0 basis, making the entire sale taxable. The fifth is missing state tax implications; some states (CA, NY) tax capital gains as ordinary income at high rates. The sixth is over-relying on exchange-provided tax forms (1099-MISC, 1099-K), which often miss cost basis and create inflated tax liability if used without correction. For active traders, dedicated tax software (CoinTracker, Koinly, TaxBit, ZenLedger) connects to all exchanges and wallets and produces accurate Form 8949 and Schedule D — well worth the $50-300 annual cost.
When should I not use this calculator?
Skip it for actual tax filing — use dedicated crypto tax software that handles per-transaction tracking, cost-basis methods (FIFO/LIFO/HIFO/specific-ID), wash-sale awareness, mining/staking/airdrop categorization, and generates proper IRS forms. It is the wrong tool for international crypto taxes; different countries have very different rules (Germany has 1-year tax-free holding; Portugal taxed crypto profits at 0% historically; Singapore taxes only business profits; UK treats crypto similar to stocks). Do not use it for short-term gains without verifying which ordinary-income bracket applies; the simple "tax rate" input requires you to know your marginal rate accurately. It also doesn't handle NIIT (3.8% additional Medicare tax on investment income above $200K single / $250K joint), AMT considerations, or state tax. For estimated quarterly tax payments — required if you owe more than $1,000 — work with a CPA familiar with crypto taxation; underpayment penalties can be substantial. And for any large crypto position approaching sale (over $50K of gains), getting a CPA consultation before selling can identify tax-optimization opportunities worth multiples of the consultation cost.