Loading calculators...
Fetching calculator categories and tools for this section.
Preparing tools and content for you. This usually takes a second.
Fetching calculator categories and tools for this section.
Quick answer — federal tax on dividends, interest & capital gains
Enter wages, ordinary investment income (interest, short-term gains, non-qualified dividends), and preferential income (long-term gains + qualified dividends). This federal-only planner applies the standard deduction and stacked 0% / 15% / 20% bands. Demo (MFJ): $85000 wages + $4200 ordinary + $18000 preferential → $6,736 estimated federal tax (6.3% effective on gross inputs). Investment-heavy single ($95k preferential) → $6,608 federal. Not tax advice; NIIT, AMT, and state tax excluded.
Free dividend tax calculator and capital gains tax estimate for brokerage 1099-style planning. Pair with our capital gains tax calculator and payroll & tax hub.
Last updated October 9, 2026
Use IRS Publication 550, Schedule B/D, and the Qualified Dividends and Capital Gain Tax Worksheet when filing. Carryovers, wash sales, and K-1 income need professional software.
Need a branded tax planner for your fintech app? Get a Quote
Total federal income tax (est.)
$6736.00
Effective on gross inputs: 6.28%
Taxable income (est.)
$78000.00
Gross modeled
$107200.00
Ordinary federal tax
$6736.00
On ordinary taxable $60000.00
Preferential federal tax
$0.00
Stacked on $18000.00 preferential
Not tax advice. Preferential rate bands use simplified 2025-style thresholds; NIIT, AMT, and state taxes are excluded.
Citation-friendly totals from the same engine as the live calculator—federal income tax only.
| Scenario | Status | Wages | Ord. inv. | Preferential | Federal tax | Eff. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default — MFJ, $85k wages + portfolio | MFJ | $85,000 | $4,200 | $18,000 | $6,736 | 6.3% |
| Investment-heavy single | single | $0 | $12,000 | $95,000 | $6,608 | 6.2% |
| Modest portfolio single (0% preferential demo) | single | $0 | $5,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 0.0% |
| High earner MFJ + large LTCG | MFJ | $120,000 | $8,000 | $40,000 | $17,842 | 10.6% |
| Field | Examples | Federal treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary investment income | Taxable interest, short-term capital gains, non-qualified dividends | Ordinary progressive brackets (10%–37% in this model) |
| Preferential investment income | Long-term capital gains + qualified dividends (combined annual total) | Stacked 0% / 15% / 20% bands on top of ordinary taxable income |
| Other ordinary income | Wages, self-employment net, IRA distributions taxed as ordinary | Counts toward ordinary taxable income before preferential stack |
| Filing status | Amount |
|---|---|
| Single | $14,600 |
| Married filing jointly | $29,200 |
| Head of household | $21,900 |
Upper bounds for 0% and 15% bands when stacking on ordinary taxable income (simplified 2025-style).
| Status | 0% up to* | 15% up to* |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $48,350 | $533,400 |
| Married filing jointly | $96,700 | $595,000 |
| Head of household | $64,750 | $566,700 |
*Stacked on ordinary taxable income; amounts above 15% band taxed at 20% in this model.
Interest, short-term capital gains, and many non-qualified dividends flow through ordinary federal rate brackets after deductions.
Long-term gains and qualified dividends use simplified 0%, 15%, and 20% bands stacked on ordinary taxable income.
Optional other ordinary income helps approximate how investment income sits on your return next to wages.
One federal standard deduction is applied to the combined modeled gross for a simple planning baseline.
See estimated ordinary federal tax versus preferential federal tax components side by side.
A rough average federal burden on total entered income helps compare scenarios year over year.
Single filer, $0 wages, $12,000 ordinary investment income, $95,000 preferential (planning inputs only):
Total federal tax (est.)
$6607.50
Preferential federal tax
$6607.50
The calculator adds other ordinary income, ordinary investment income, and preferential investment income, subtracts the federal standard deduction for your filing status, and splits the resulting taxable income into an ordinary slice and a preferential slice (up to the amount of preferential income you entered). Ordinary federal tax uses simplified progressive ordinary brackets on the ordinary slice. Preferential federal tax applies stacked 0%, 15%, and 20% style bands on the preferential slice using threshold cutoffs that depend on filing status. Example (default MFJ): gross $107,200 − $29,200 standard deduction → $78,000 taxable ($60,000 ordinary + $18,000 preferential) → $6,736 federal ($6,736 ordinary + $0 preferential).
Gross inputs − standard deduction → ordinary vs preferential taxable → ordinary + preferential taxCompare with the capital gains tax calculator for holding-period-specific gain estimates.
Get a Custom Tax Calculator for Your ProductShare it with investors and tax planners
Suggested hashtags: #Investing #TaxCalculator #Dividends #CapitalGains #PersonalFinance