Stock Profit Calculator
The profit a trade actually produces is the headline number minus three quiet deductions: the entry commission, the exit commission, and tax on whatever is left. Each one moves the break-even price, and together they explain why small winning trades can net almost nothing. This calculator handles long and short positions, applies tax only to positive pre-tax gains (losses are never taxed), and reports the one figure most calculators skip: the exact exit price at which the trade nets zero. Use it before the trade to see what the round trip really costs, and after it to reconcile the broker's number against your own.
The short answer
Sell 100 shares bought at $20 for $25 with $5 fees each way and 15% tax: $500 gross, $490 after fees, $416.50 after tax — a 20.77% return on $2,005 deployed. The break-even exit sits at $20.10, because round-trip fees add ten cents per share.
Net profit
$416.50
20.77% return on $2,005.00 deployed.
- Gross profit
- $500.00
- Fees
- − $10.00
- Tax on gain
- − $73.50
- Break-even exit price
- $20.10
Entry plus exit commissions.
15% applied to the positive pre-tax gain only.
How to use Stock Profit Calculator
- 1
Choose direction and prices
Long buys then sells; short sells then buys back. Enter the prices actually filled on both sides.
- 2
Add both commissions
Most brokers charge on each side. Five dollars in and five out is ten cents per share on a 100-share trade — often the difference between green and red.
- 3
Set the tax rate
Your capital-gains rate on positive gains only. Leave 0% to see the pre-tax result; losses here are never taxed.
Why use this tool
- Long and short modes with direction-correct profit arithmetic
- Entry and exit fees folded into net profit and break-even
- Tax applied only to positive gains, never to losses
- Break-even exit price — the number small trades quietly miss
- Return on capital deployed, not just on share cost
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate profit on a stock trade?
- (Exit − entry) × shares for a long, minus both commissions, minus tax on the positive result. The example: 100 shares from $20 to $25 is $500 gross, $490 after $10 of fees, $416.50 after 15% tax — 20.77% on the $2,005 deployed.
- What is the break-even price for a stock trade?
- Entry plus (entry fee + exit fee) ÷ shares for a long — $20.10 on the example. Below that exit, fees have eaten the trade; a short's break-even sits the same distance below its entry.
- Do I pay tax on losing trades?
- No — the calculator applies tax only to positive pre-tax profit. Real-world tax also involves wash-sale rules and loss offsetting, which are outside this tool's scope.
- Is this financial advice?
- No. This is arithmetic for general information on numbers you enter. Tax treatment varies by country and account type; confirm your rate with a tax professional.
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