When you sell an investment at a profit in Connecticut, you owe both federal and state tax, and Connecticut taxes the gain like ordinary income rather than at a discounted rate. This calculator stacks your gain on top of your other income to estimate the combined federal and Connecticut bill accurately.
How it works
The tool computes three pieces and adds them:
federal (long-term) = 0% / 15% / 20% bands, with the gain stacked on income
federal (short-term) = ordinary federal brackets on the gain
NIIT = 3.8% × min(gain, MAGI − threshold)
Connecticut = graduated 2%–6.99% brackets on the gain (ordinary)
total = federal gains tax + NIIT + Connecticut tax
Because long-term federal rates depend on where the gain sits relative to your other income, the tool fills the 0% band first, then 15%, then 20%. Connecticut applies its ordinary brackets to the gain regardless of holding period.
Example
A single filer with $90,000 of other taxable income realizes a $50,000 long-term gain. Stacked on $90,000, the entire gain falls in the federal 15% band, giving $7,500 of federal tax. MAGI of $140,000 is under the $200,000 NIIT threshold, so no NIIT applies. Connecticut taxes the $50,000 at its ordinary rates (roughly 5.5% to 6% in this range), adding about $2,900 — a combined total near $10,400.
Notes
This is an estimate. It does not include federal income tax on your other income, state capital-loss carryovers, the qualified-small-business-stock exclusion, or the Connecticut 1% high-income investment surtax. Section 1202 stock, collectibles (28%), and unrecaptured Section 1250 gain (25%) have special federal rates not modeled here. Confirm on Schedule D and Form CT-1040.