Capital Gain Calculator
Work out the gain on a property sale after purchase costs, improvements and selling costs, then apply your own local tax rate to see what remains.
💼 Are you a real estate agent or broker? Send this calculator to your buyers on your own branded listing page — every enquiry comes straight to your WhatsApp. Create free agent page →The gain on a property is not the sale price minus the purchase price. Your cost base includes what you paid to buy — transfer tax, legal fees, survey — and the capital improvements made since. What you receive is the sale price after commission and legal costs. Both adjustments reduce the taxable gain, and both are frequently forgotten.
Rates, exemptions and inflation adjustments differ in every country, so the tax rate here is yours to enter. What the calculator does is get the gain itself right, which is the part people miscalculate before any rate is applied.
The calculation
Cost base = purchase price + buying costs + capital improvements. Net proceeds = sale price − selling costs. Gain = net proceeds − cost base, and tax is that gain at your rate.
Worked example
A property bought for 250,000 with 8,000 of buying costs, improved by 15,000, has a cost base of 273,000. Sold for 400,000 with 22,000 of selling costs, net proceeds are 378,000. The gain is 105,000 — not the 150,000 the two prices suggest. At 20%, tax is 21,000 and the profit after tax is 84,000.
Improvements versus repairs
Most tax systems distinguish capital improvements, which add to the cost base, from repairs and maintenance, which do not. A new extension typically counts; repainting typically does not. Keep the invoices — without them the deduction is very hard to defend years later.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property pageFrequently asked questions
Is my main home taxed?
In many countries a main residence is fully or partly exempt, while investment property is not. The rules differ substantially and often depend on how long you lived there, so check what applies where the property is located.
What counts as an improvement?
Generally work that adds something that was not there or materially upgrades the property — an extension, a new bathroom where there was none, rewiring. Routine repainting and repairs usually do not. Keep every invoice regardless.
Does holding the property longer reduce the tax?
In some systems yes, through a lower long-term rate, an inflation adjustment to the cost base, or a taper. In others it makes no difference at all. This is one of the largest genuine differences between countries.
Is this calculator tax advice?
No. It works out the gain correctly and applies whatever rate you enter. Exemptions, allowances, reliefs and reporting deadlines are specific to your country and circumstances, so confirm the treatment with a local tax professional.