2027 Capital Gains Thresholds: What's Projected, What's Official, and Why Holding Periods Matter

Every fall, the IRS publishes next year's inflation adjustments for tax brackets and related thresholds. As of Oct. 20, 2026, we did not find a 2027 announcement. This piece separates what is official from what is projected. It also explains why the length of time an investment is held can matter for traders and investors.

What is official: the 2026 thresholds

The IRS announced the 2026 adjustments on Oct. 9, 2025, in Revenue Procedure 2025-32. For long-term capital gains, the 0% and 15% rates apply up to these taxable-income levels:

• Single filers: 0% up to $49,450; 15% up to $545,500
• Married filing jointly: 0% up to $98,900; 15% up to $613,700

Income above the 15% ceiling is generally taxed at 20%. These thresholds apply to taxable income, which is income after deductions, not to the size of the gain alone.

What is projected: 2027

Thomson Reuters Checkpoint published unofficial 2027 estimates on Sept. 11, 2026, based on inflation data then available. Its figures:

• Single filers: 0% up to about $51,050; 15% up to about $563,200
• Married filing jointly: 0% up to about $102,100; 15% up to about $633,600

Bloomberg Tax, as reported by CBS News, described 2027 bracket increases of about 3.2%, compared with 2.7% for 2026. These are projections. The IRS figures could differ, including by small rounding steps.

Why the final numbers are not guaranteed

Many of these thresholds are indexed to inflation using a chained version of the Consumer Price Index. One wrinkle for 2027, according to Wolters Kluwer's analysis: the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish an October 2025 reading because of the 2025 government shutdown. It is unclear how the IRS will handle the missing month. Projection firms have assumed an 11-month average instead. If the IRS takes a different approach, the numbers could shift.

On timing, the IRS announced the 2026 adjustments on Oct. 9, 2025. The IRS announced the 2025 adjustments on Oct. 22, 2024. Analysts expect the 2027 release in late October or early November, though the IRS publishes no fixed schedule.

Why holding periods matter

The tax rate on an investment gain generally depends on how long the asset was held. In general terms:

• Gains on assets held one year or less are short-term and are taxed at ordinary income rates.
• Gains on assets held more than one year are long-term and are taxed at the 0%, 15% or 20% rates above.

For people who trade stocks and options, this distinction can matter a great deal, because many options positions are held for days or weeks. Special rules can change the picture:

• Certain index options (Section 1256 contracts) receive a 60% long-term, 40% short-term treatment regardless of holding period.
• The wash-sale rule can defer certain losses.
• Holding-period rules for options, covered calls and exercised or assigned positions have their own details.

IRS Publication 550 covers these topics, and a tax professional can address individual facts.

Things to keep in mind

• Thresholds change yearly, so a gain that fell in a lower bracket one year may fall in a different one another year, depending on total taxable income.
• Projected numbers are not law. Any 2027 figure here is an estimate until the IRS publishes its revenue procedure.
• Investments can lose value, and capital losses have their own limits and rules.

The main educational point: two things shape the rate on a gain. One is the holding period. The other is the taxpayer's total taxable income relative to a threshold that moves each year.

This article is educational commentary on public tax information, not personalized investment, trading, or tax advice.