Tax rate on selling stocks
The tax rate on long-term capital gains is much lower than the tax rate on ordinary income (a maximum rate of 23.8% on most capital gains, compared with a maximum ordinary income tax rate of 37% plus the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax). If you hold stock, securities or funds in a tax-deferred account like an individual retirement arrangement or 401 (k), you'll generally be paying taxes on the stocks when you take money out of the account, not when you sell individual shares within the account.