Capital Gains & Equity Estimator

Sale & Equity

Expected sale price

Current mortgage balance (optional)

Any liens/HELOCs to pay off, too — used only for the equity estimate below.

Estimated selling costs

Commission plus attorney, title, and transfer tax costs, as a rough percent of sale price. For an exact, itemized figure, use the Net Sheet Calculator.

Want the exact, itemized breakdown of your closing costs? Open the Net Sheet Calculator →

Your Cost Basis

This is the number most sellers get wrong — it's not just what you paid. Add what you paid, what it cost you to buy, and every documented improvement since.

Original purchase price

Closing costs when you bought (optional)

Capital Improvements

Kitchen/bath remodels, additions, new roof, major systems, finished basements — not routine repairs or maintenance. Most sellers forget these. Track down the receipts.

Improvements Subtotal$0.00

Filing & Eligibility

Tax filing status

Owned & lived in this home 2 of the last 5 years?

This is the primary-residence test for the federal exclusion below. Investment/rental property, or a shorter stay, generally doesn't qualify — there are narrow exceptions your CPA can walk through.

Estimate

Your Equity

Your Adjusted Cost Basis

Your Capital Gains Estimate

Enter a sale price and purchase price above to see your estimate.

ⓘ This is a planning estimate only, not tax advice. It doesn't account for depreciation recapture (rental history), 1031 exchanges, prior home sale exclusions, or your full tax picture. Your CPA or tax attorney should confirm your actual basis, gain, and exclusion eligibility.

How I Think About This

Let's get your real number first. We take your sale price, subtract what you paid, subtract your closing costs, and subtract any documented improvements. Most sellers forget the improvements — track those receipts down before we run this.
The current federal exclusion is still $250,000 if you're single, or $500,000 if you're married filing jointly, as long as you've owned and lived in the home 2 of the last 5 years. There's a bill in Congress that would double both numbers, but it hasn't passed yet, so we can't plan around it closing in time for your sale.
Talk to your CPA before we set list timing. We can time your closing and document improvements strategically to help manage your exposure, but that's tax strategy — it's your CPA's call, not mine.

ⓘ The pending bill referenced above is the More Homes on the Market Act (H.R. 1340 / S. 3332), which would raise the exclusion to $500,000 single / $1,000,000 married and index it to inflation. As of this writing it's still in the House Ways & Means Committee — introduced, not enacted. The $250,000 / $500,000 figures used in this calculator reflect current law (IRC §121).

Capital Gains & Equity Estimate

This is a planning estimate only, not tax or legal advice. It doesn't account for depreciation recapture, 1031 exchanges, prior home sale exclusions, or your full tax picture. Confirm your actual basis, gain, and exclusion eligibility with your CPA or tax attorney before you list, price improvements, or set a closing date.

Federal capital gains exclusion amounts reflect current law under IRC §121 ($250,000 single / $500,000 married filing jointly). The More Homes on the Market Act (H.R. 1340 / S. 3332) would raise these amounts but has not been enacted as of this writing.

ⓘ This calculator provides a planning estimate for conversation purposes only. It is not tax, legal, or financial advice, and Brian Elmore is not a CPA, tax attorney, or financial advisor. Your actual cost basis, capital gain, exclusion eligibility, and tax liability depend on your complete financial and ownership history — including any rental use, depreciation taken, prior home-sale exclusions, or 1031 exchanges — none of which this tool accounts for. Confirm all figures with your CPA or tax attorney before you list, price improvements, or set a closing date. Federal capital gains exclusion amounts reflect current law under IRC §121 ($250,000 single / $500,000 married filing jointly) as of August 2026. The More Homes on the Market Act (H.R. 1340 / S. 3332), which would raise these amounts to $500,000 / $1,000,000 and index them to inflation, was introduced in February 2025 and remains in the House Ways & Means Committee — it is not current law and should not be relied on when planning a sale.