Share:
Glossary Finance

Capital gains

A capital gain is the profit from selling an asset, such as shares or property, for more than you paid for it.

Last reviewed:

AdSense Placeholder
Slot: header_reference_page

In more detail

The gain is the sale price minus the cost basis. Many countries tax it only when realised, and some tax gains on assets held for a long time at lower rates. In the US the cut-off is one year.

Try these tools

Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Estimate the federal tax owed on an investment or asset sale, based on your holding period, filing status.

Stock Profit Calculator

Calculate profit or loss on a stock trade including buy and sell fees, return percentage, break-even sell price.

See also

  • Glossary Return on investment (ROI)
    Return on investment (ROI) is the gain or loss on an investment as a percentage of what was invested.
  • Glossary Equity
    Equity is the part of an asset you truly own: its current value minus what you still owe against it.
Back to Glossary
AdSense Placeholder
Slot: footer_leaderboard