Crypto Capital Gains Tax Calculator (2026)

How a Crypto Capital Gains Tax Calculator Works

A crypto capital gains tax calculator computes federal and state tax owed on cryptocurrency sales, swaps, and conversions to US dollars or other assets. It applies the standard capital gains rules from IRS guidance: short-term gains (held 12 months or less) are taxed at your ordinary income tax rate, while long-term gains (held more than 12 months) are taxed at the preferential 0%, 15%, or 20% federal rate based on your taxable income. Most crypto traders also owe the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) once their MAGI exceeds $200,000 single or $250,000 MFJ.

Per IRS Notice 2014-21 and ongoing guidance, cryptocurrency is treated as property for federal tax purposes — every sale, swap, or use to buy goods is a taxable event (source: irs.gov). This tool calculates each transaction in isolation; for portfolio-wide reporting use specialized tax software like CoinTracker, Koinly, or TokenTax.

2026 Long-Term Capital Gains Brackets — Federal

For 2026 tax year (returns filed in 2027), the federal long-term capital gains brackets are: 0% rate applies to taxable income up to $48,350 single / $96,700 MFJ; 15% rate applies from those thresholds up to $533,400 single / $600,050 MFJ; 20% rate applies above. These brackets are inflation-adjusted from IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40 and Rev. Proc. 2025-XX (preliminary 2026 inflation adjustments published in October 2025) (source: irs.gov).

Short-term gains use ordinary income brackets: 10% up to $11,925, 12% to $48,475, 22% to $103,350, 24% to $197,300, 32% to $250,525, 35% to $626,350, and 37% above (single filer 2026). The OBBB Act (P.L. 119-21) preserved these brackets through 2027 and beyond, replacing the previously-scheduled TCJA sunset (source: congress.gov).

Form 1099-DA — Broker Reporting Starts in 2026

Beginning January 1, 2025 (for the 2025 tax year, reported in early 2026), centralized crypto brokers like Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini began issuing Form 1099-DA — Digital Asset Proceeds From Broker Transactions. The form reports gross proceeds for the 2025 tax year. For 2026 transactions reported in early 2027, brokers must include cost basis information per IRS final regulations issued July 2024 (source: irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-da).

Reconcile the calculator output to your Form 1099-DA before filing. Reportable on Form 8949 (Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets) and totaled on Schedule D. Decentralized DeFi protocols and self-custody wallets are NOT covered by Form 1099-DA in 2026 — you must self-report those transactions using exchange records, on-chain history, or specialized tax software.

NIIT 3.8% — Net Investment Income Tax

The Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) is an additional 3.8% tax on the lesser of (a) your net investment income or (b) the amount your MAGI exceeds the NIIT threshold. The thresholds are $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for MFJ — these are NOT indexed for inflation, so more crypto traders fall into NIIT every year as wages and investment gains grow (source: irs.gov). Calculate it on Form 8960. This calculator estimates NIIT based on whether your total income exceeds the threshold.

Tax-Loss Harvesting and Wash-Sale Considerations

Crypto losses can be used to offset crypto gains, then $3,000 per year of remaining losses against ordinary income, with the rest carried forward indefinitely. Critically, the wash-sale rule (IRC §1091) does NOT currently apply to crypto in 2026, so you can sell at a loss and immediately rebuy the same asset to harvest the tax loss. Various Congressional proposals to extend wash-sale to crypto have not passed as of early 2026, but this could change — monitor IRS guidance and pending legislation (source: irs.gov).

Combine this calculator with our wash-sale rule calculator for stocks, the general capital gains tax calculator, and the NIIT Form 8960 calculator. Last updated April 2026. Sources: irs.gov, IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40, Rev. Proc. 2025-XX, Form 1099-DA Final Regulations TD 10000.