Stock profit calculator: profit or loss, percent return and break-even sell price
Stock profit is the net sale proceeds minus the total cost, with commissions counted on both sides, and the break-even sell price is the price at which that profit is zero. Enter your shares, prices and fees; add the trade dates to see whether the IRS treats the result as short-term or long-term. Taxes are not calculated here: use the capital gains tax calculator for an estimate. You enter every price yourself; the calculator uses no quotes or market data.
Stock profit calculator
Estimated profit:
$980.00
- Return on total cost: 19.56%
- Total cost (shares × buy price + buy fees): $5,010.00
- Net proceeds (shares × sell price − sell fees): $5,990.00
- Break-even sell price per share: $50.20
Assumptions
- Cost = purchase price plus commissions; proceeds = sale price minus selling expenses (IRS Publication 550). Fees are the dollar totals you enter.
- One lot, bought at one price and sold at one price. No dividends, splits, wash-sale rules or tax are included.
- The holding period counts from the day after the buy trade date through the sell trade date, and a sale on the one-year anniversary is short-term. The rule counts calendar years, not 365 days. For a February 29 purchase the anniversary is treated as February 28: a sale on February 28 is short-term, March 1 or later is long-term.
Worked examples
These results come from the same code as the calculator. They are FedRateCalc arithmetic, not examples printed by the IRS.
| Trade | Profit or loss | Return on cost | Break-even sell price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 shares bought at $50 with $10 in fees, sold at $60 with $10 in fees | $980.00 | 19.56% | $50.20 |
| 10 shares bought at $20, sold at $15, no fees | -$50.00 | -25.00% | $20.00 |
How the IRS counts cost and proceeds
IRS Publication 550 (2025) says about the cost of stock:
“The basis of stocks or bonds you own is generally the purchase price plus the costs of purchase, such as commissions and recording or transfer fees. If you acquired stock or bonds other than by purchase, your basis is usually determined by fair market value or the previous owner's adjusted basis as discussed earlier under Basis Other Than Cost.”
and about the amount you receive from a sale:
“The amount you realize from a sale or trade of property is everything you receive for the property minus your expenses related to the sale (such as redemption fees, sales commissions, sales charges, or exit fees). Amount realized includes the money you receive plus the fair market value of any property or services you receive.”
The calculator follows those two rules: commissions raise the cost, and selling expenses reduce the proceeds. A broker reports the sale to the IRS on Form 1099-B, and the same publication says:
“If you sold stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or certain commodities through a broker during the year, the broker should send you a Form 1099-B, Proceeds From Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions, for each sale. You should receive the Form 1099-B for 2025 by February 16, 2026. It will show the gross proceeds from the sale. The IRS will also get a copy of Form 1099-B from the broker.”
The Form 1099-B and Form 8949 pages explain the forms. The calculator does not read your account, so compare its result with your own records.
Short-term or long-term
IRS Topic No. 409 says:
“Generally, if you hold the asset for more than one year before you dispose of it, your capital gain or loss is long-term. If you hold it one year or less, your capital gain or loss is short-term. For exceptions to this rule, such as property acquired by gift, property acquired from a decedent, or patent property, refer to Publication 544, Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets; for commodity futures, see Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses; or for applicable partnership interests, see Publication 541, Partnerships. To determine how long you held the asset, you generally count from the day after the day you acquired the asset up to and including the day you disposed of the asset.”
Publication 550 says the same, with an example:
“If you hold investment property more than 1 year, any capital gain or loss is a long-term capital gain or loss. If you hold the property 1 year or less, any capital gain or loss is a short-term capital gain or loss. To determine how long you held the investment property, begin counting on the date after the day you acquired the property. The day you disposed of the property is part of your holding period.”
“If you bought investment property on January 31, 2024, and sold it on January 29, 2025, your holding period is not more than 1 year and you have a short-term capital gain or loss. If you sold it on February 6, 2025, your holding period is more than 1 year and you have a long-term capital gain or loss.”
For securities traded on an established market, Publication 550 counts from the trade date, and adds a caution about the settlement date:
“For securities traded on an established securities market, your holding period begins the day after the trade date you bought the securities, and ends on the trade date you sold them.”
“Do not confuse the trade date with the settlement date. The settlement date is the date by which the stock must be delivered and payment must be made.”
| Dates | Days from buy to sell | Calculator label |
|---|---|---|
| Bought January 31, 2024, sold January 29, 2025 (Publication 550 example) | 364 | Short-term (one year or less) |
| Bought January 31, 2024, sold February 6, 2025 (Publication 550 example) | 372 | Long-term (more than one year) |
| Bought March 15, 2024, sold March 15, 2025 (the one-year anniversary; FedRateCalc application of the rule) | 365 | Short-term (one year or less) |
The tax rate that follows from the label depends on your whole return. The capital gains tax brackets page lists the rates and thresholds, and the net investment income tax page covers another federal tax that may apply to investment income.
What the calculator assumes
- One lot, one buy price and one sell price. Fees are the dollar totals you enter, the same whatever the price.
- Shares, the buy price and the sell price must be above zero, and fees cannot be negative. A sale at a price of zero is not accepted.
- The break-even sell price is (total cost + sell fees) ÷ shares.
- The holding-period label applies the general rule only. The exceptions IRS Topic No. 409 lists, such as property acquired by gift or from a decedent, are not applied. The rule counts calendar years, not 365 days. For a purchase on February 29, the anniversary is treated as February 28: a sale on February 28 is short-term, March 1 or later is long-term.
- Dividends, stock splits, wash sales and tax are not included. The result is an estimate from the numbers you enter.
Frequently asked questions
How is stock profit calculated with commissions?
FedRateCalc adds the buy commission to the purchase cost and subtracts the sell commission from the sale proceeds: profit = shares × sell price − sell commission − (shares × buy price + buy commission). IRS Publication 550 says the basis of stock is generally the purchase price plus the costs of purchase, such as commissions, and that the amount realized on a sale is net of expenses such as sales commissions.
What is the break-even sell price?
It is the sell price at which profit is zero after both commissions: (total cost + sell commission) ÷ shares. This is FedRateCalc arithmetic built on the basis and amount-realized rules in IRS Publication 550. A commission that is the same whatever the price is assumed; percentage fees would need their dollar amount entered.
When is a stock gain short-term or long-term?
IRS Topic No. 409 and Publication 550 say a gain or loss is generally long-term if the asset is held more than one year and short-term if held one year or less, counting from the day after acquisition through the day of disposal. Topic No. 409 lists exceptions such as property acquired by gift or from a decedent. For stock traded on an established market, Publication 550 counts from the trade date, not the settlement date.
Does this calculator estimate the tax on the profit?
No. FedRateCalc shows profit, return and the holding period label only. IRS Topic No. 409 says a lower tax rate may apply to a net capital gain than to ordinary income, and the rate depends on your whole return, so the tax estimate is left to the capital gains tax calculator.
Why might my broker's Form 1099-B show different numbers?
IRS Publication 550 says a broker should send a Form 1099-B for each sale showing gross proceeds and, for a covered security, your basis. The calculator uses only the shares, prices and fees you type, so lots, fee treatment or adjustments on the form can change the result. Compare the form with your own records.
Which dates count for the holding period?
Under IRS Publication 550, the holding period for securities traded on an established securities market begins the day after the trade date of the purchase and ends on the trade date of the sale, and the publication cautions against confusing the trade date with the settlement date. Enter trade dates in the optional fields; the calculator treats a sale on the one-year anniversary of the purchase as short-term.
Related calculators and guides
Sources
Pages were read on November 6, 2026. IRS Publication 550 is the 2025 edition as published on irs.gov.
- IRS: Publication 550 (2025), Investment Income and Expenses
- IRS: Topic No. 409, Capital gains and losses
Reviewed November 6, 2026. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with the IRS, the SEC or FINRA; their sites are the official sources, and any later change they publish overrides this site. Results are estimates from the numbers you enter, not financial or tax advice.