Capital Gains on Selling a House 2026
Most home sales are tax-free — here's how the $250k / $500k exclusion works.
When you sell your main home, the Section 121 exclusion lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain from tax ($500,000 if married filing jointly) — provided you owned and lived in it as your primary residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years. Only gain above the exclusion is taxed, at long-term capital-gains rates. Improvements raise your cost basis and shrink the taxable gain.
What changes for your taxes
- Your gain = sale price − selling costs − (purchase price + improvements).
- Up to $250,000 ($500,000 MFJ) of that gain can be excluded from tax.
- Only gain above the exclusion is taxed, at long-term capital-gains rates.
- Capital improvements you made over the years increase your basis and cut the gain.
How the Section 121 exclusion works
To qualify, you must have owned the home and used it as your main residence for at least 2 of the 5 years before the sale (they don't have to be continuous). Meet that and a single filer excludes up to $250,000 of gain; a married couple filing jointly excludes up to $500,000. You can use the exclusion again on another home, but generally not more than once every two years.
Figuring the gain is where people overpay: start with the sale price, subtract selling costs (agent commission, closing costs), then subtract your adjusted basis — the original purchase price plus the cost of capital improvements (a new roof, addition, renovation) you made over the years. Keeping those receipts can save thousands. Any gain left after the exclusion is taxed at 0/15/20% long-term rates.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $700,000 |
| − Selling costs (≈6%) | −$42,000 |
| − Original purchase price | −$300,000 |
| − Capital improvements | −$40,000 |
| = Gain before exclusion | $318,000 |
| − Section 121 exclusion (single) | −$250,000 |
| = Taxable gain (long-term rates) | $68,000 |
Which situation is yours?
Your action checklist
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay tax when I sell my house?
Usually not. If it was your main home for 2 of the last 5 years, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 married filing jointly). Only gain above that is taxed at capital-gains rates.
How do I calculate my home-sale gain?
Sale price minus selling costs, minus your adjusted basis (purchase price plus capital improvements). Improvements and selling costs both reduce the taxable gain.
What if I didn't live there 2 years?
You may still get a partial exclusion if you sold due to a work move, health reasons, or certain unforeseen circumstances. Otherwise the full gain is taxable at capital-gains rates.
Sources & verification
Last reviewed July 12, 2026.