Calculate long-term capital gains tax on cryptocurrency held over one year. Estimate tax at 0%, 15%, or 20% based on income and filing status.
Long-term capital gains on cryptocurrency apply when you sell or trade digital assets held for more than one year. The U.S. tax code rewards patient investors with preferential rates of 0%, 15%, or 20% — significantly lower than the ordinary income rates applied to short-term gains. Your specific rate depends on your taxable income and filing status.
This calculator estimates the federal long-term capital gains tax on your crypto profits. Enter your sale proceeds, cost basis, taxable income, and filing status to instantly see the applicable LTCG rate and tax owed. The tool uses current income thresholds to determine whether you fall into the 0%, 15%, or 20% bracket.
For investors who practice a buy-and-hold strategy with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other cryptocurrencies, understanding long-term rates is essential for tax planning. The difference between a 37% short-term rate and a 15% long-term rate on a $50,000 gain is $11,000 in tax savings — a compelling reason to think twice before selling early.
Knowing your long-term capital gains tax rate helps you decide when to sell. If you're close to the one-year holding threshold, waiting a few extra days could save thousands in taxes. This calculator also reveals whether your income level qualifies you for the 0% rate, which many taxpayers overlook. Use it to plan sales across tax years and maximize after-tax returns on your crypto investments.
Long-Term Gain = Proceeds − Cost Basis LTCG Rate = 0%, 15%, or 20% (based on income + gain thresholds) Tax Owed = Long-Term Gain × LTCG Rate After-Tax Profit = Long-Term Gain − Tax Owed
Result: $3,000 estimated tax
You sold crypto for $30,000 with a $10,000 cost basis, yielding a $20,000 long-term gain. With $50,000 in other taxable income (single filer), total income is $70,000, which falls in the 15% LTCG bracket. Tax = $20,000 × 15% = $3,000. After-tax profit is $17,000.
The 0% bracket is often overlooked. Single filers with taxable income under roughly $48,350 (including the gain) pay zero federal tax on long-term crypto gains. Married couples filing jointly have a threshold of about $96,700. This is powerful for early retirees or those in transition years between jobs.
Consider a $50,000 crypto gain for someone in the 32% ordinary income bracket. Short-term tax would be $16,000 while long-term tax at 15% would be $7,500 — a savings of $8,500 simply by holding longer than one year. For larger gains, the savings grow proportionally.
High-income investors must account for the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on top of their LTCG rate. At the 20% bracket plus NIIT, the effective federal rate is 23.8%. Strategies like charitable donations of appreciated crypto or Qualified Opportunity Zone investments can help mitigate this extra tax.
For 2025, the rates are 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your taxable income and filing status. Single filers pay 0% on gains if total taxable income is below approximately $48,350, 15% up to about $533,400, and 20% above that threshold.
You must hold the cryptocurrency for more than one year — specifically, at least one year and one day. The holding period begins the day after acquisition and ends on the disposal date. If you bought on January 1, 2025, the earliest date for long-term treatment is January 2, 2026.
Yes. The Net Investment Income Tax of 3.8% applies to crypto capital gains for single filers with modified adjusted gross income above $200,000 or married filing jointly above $250,000. This effectively raises the top long-term rate to 23.8%.
Yes, but there is an ordering rule. Long-term losses first offset long-term gains. If there is a net long-term loss remaining, it then offsets net short-term gains. This netting process happens on Schedule D of your tax return.
Staking and mining rewards are first taxed as ordinary income when received. If you later sell those tokens at a profit after holding them for more than one year, that subsequent gain qualifies for long-term capital gains rates. The initial income event is always ordinary income.
If your income fluctuates, timing your crypto sales to low-income years can put you in a lower LTCG bracket or even the 0% bracket. This strategy is particularly useful for freelancers, retirees, or anyone with variable annual income.