When you sell a stock, mutual fund, investment property, or a business, if you have made money on that investment, the IRS is kindly waiting for a piece of that gain in the form of capital gains tax. Capital gains are taxed differently than the ordinary income that you received via your paycheck or pass-through income from your business. Unlike ordinary income, which has a series of tax brackets that range from 10% to 37% in 2022, capital gains income is taxed at a flat rate at the federal level. Most taxpayers are aware of the 15% long term capital gains tax rate but very few know about the 0% capital gains tax rate and how to properly time the sale of your invest to escape having to pay tax on the gain.
