Form 8949 + Schedule D: Capital Gains and Losses (2026)
Report every investment sale and calculate the tax on your net capital gains.
Form 8949 lists each investment sale — description, dates, proceeds, cost basis, and gain or loss. Those totals carry to Schedule D, which nets your short-term and long-term gains and losses and computes the capital gains tax (0/15/20% for long-term). Together they report stocks, crypto, and fund sales on your return.
Who files Form 8949 + Schedule D
- Anyone who sold stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, or crypto at a gain or loss.
- Investors who received a 1099-B from a broker.
- Taxpayers harvesting losses to offset gains and up to $3,000 of income.
- Home sellers with a gain above the Section 121 exclusion.
How 8949 and Schedule D fit together
Form 8949 is the detail: one line per sale, split into short-term (held one year or less) and long-term (held more than a year). You record proceeds and cost basis; the difference is your gain or loss. Schedule D is the summary: it totals the 8949 sections, nets short against long, applies the preferential long-term rates, and carries the result to Form 1040.
Holding period is everything. Long-term gains are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on income; short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income. Losses offset gains of the same type first, then the other type, then up to $3,000 of ordinary income — with the rest carried forward.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both Form 8949 and Schedule D?
Usually yes. Form 8949 lists individual transactions; Schedule D summarizes them. Some brokers report basis so completely that you can enter totals directly on Schedule D, but 8949 is where the detail lives.
How are capital gains taxed in 2026?
Long-term gains (assets held over a year) are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% based on income. Short-term gains are taxed at your ordinary income rate. Our capital-gains calculator shows your rate.
Do I report crypto on Form 8949?
Yes. Selling, trading, or spending cryptocurrency is a taxable disposal reported on Form 8949 like any other capital asset, with gain or loss based on your cost basis.
What if I have a net capital loss?
You can deduct up to $3,000 of net loss against ordinary income ($1,500 if married filing separately) and carry the rest forward indefinitely. See our tax-loss harvesting tool.
Sources & verification
Last reviewed July 12, 2026.