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Tax & Salary

Crypto Tax Calculator (US)

How much federal tax applies to your crypto gain in 2026? Short-term (ordinary rates) vs long-term (0/15/20%) — including the savings from holding for more than one year.

Examples Held >1 year0% tier (income $40,000)Large gain $100,000
Haltedauer
Steuerstatus

Federal-Steuer auf den Gewinn

$2,200.00

Gewinn
$10,000.00
Netto nach Steuer
$7,800.00

Short-term vs. long-term

Steuer short-term (ordentliche Sätze)
−$2,200.00
Steuer long-term (0/15/20 %)
−$1,500.00
Ersparnis durch Halten > 1 Jahr
$700.00
Effektiver Satz auf den Gewinn22 %

Key facts

  • Example Single, $60,000 taxable income, $10,000 crypto gain (2026): short-term it costs $2,200 in federal tax (22% bracket), long-term only $1,500 (15%) — holding for more than one year saves $700.
  • Long-term gains are completely tax-free up to $49,450 of taxable income (Single, 2026; $98,900 Married Filing Jointly — the 0% tier). The gain stacks on top of income: at $40,000 income and a $12,000 gain, $9,450 is tax-free and only $2,550 is taxed at 15% — $382.50, not a flat 15% on everything.
  • The dividing line is the holding period: more than one year = long-term (0/15/20%), one year or less = short-term at ordinary rates of 10–37% (IRS Topic 409). The IRS treats crypto as property, not currency.

FAQ

When is my crypto gain long-term?
If you held the asset for more than one year (IRS Topic 409). Then the 0/15/20% tiers apply. At one year or less the gain is short-term and taxed like ordinary income at the regular rates (10–37%). Unlike in Germany, the gain does not become tax-free after a year — just cheaper.
How do the 0/15/20% tiers work?
The 2026 breakpoints (taxable income): 0% up to $49,450, 15% up to $545,500, 20% above (Single; MFJ: $98,900/$613,700). The long-term gain stacks on top of your other taxable income and fills the tiers from there — so one gain can be taxed partly at 0% and partly at 15%, never one flat rate on everything.
Does the wash-sale rule apply to crypto?
Under current law (as of 2026) it does not: § 1091 covers only "stock or securities", and the IRS treats crypto as property (Notice 2014-21). There is no explicit IRS confirmation though, it can apply to crypto exposure via securities (e.g. ETFs), and expansion has been proposed repeatedly — the law may change.
Are NIIT and state taxes included?
No. The calculator models the federal capital-gains level only. The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (above $200,000/$250,000 MAGI) and state/local taxes may come on top — from 0 to over 13% depending on the state.

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