Holding Period Calculator
Determine whether your investment is generally considered short-term or long-term based on your purchase date and sale date.
Holding Period Calculator
Enter the date you acquired an investment and the date you sold it to check whether the holding period is generally short-term or long-term.
What Is a Holding Period?
The holding period is the length of time you own an investment before selling it. In general, investments held for more than one year are considered long-term, while investments held for one year or less are considered short-term for federal tax purposes.
Because different tax rules can apply to short-term and long-term transactions, understanding your holding period is an important part of calculating investment gains and preparing your tax return.
Simple Example
Suppose you purchased stock on:
March 15, 2023
and sold it on:
April 2, 2024
Since the investment was generally held for more than one year, it would generally be considered a long-term investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a holding period?
The holding period is generally the amount of time you own an investment before selling it.
What is considered long-term?
Generally, investments held for more than one year are considered long-term for federal tax purposes.
What is considered short-term?
Generally, investments held for one year or less are considered short-term.
Does this calculator calculate taxes?
No. It only estimates the holding period classification.
Can I use this for stocks and ETFs?
Yes. It can be used for common investments such as stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds.
Continue Learning
Learn how holding periods, cost basis, and capital gains work together.