Finance

Tax on investments and trading in India

Capital gains rates, debt funds, dividends, F&O and crypto, and your portfolio from a CAS.

Check my taxFiling checklist

How are gains on shares and equity funds taxed?

Held for 12 months or less: 20% short-term capital gains tax. Held longer: 12.5% long-term capital gains tax on gains above ₹1.25 lakh a year.

What about debt mutual funds?

Gains on debt funds bought on or after 1 April 2023 are added to your income and taxed at your slab rate, however long you hold them.

Are dividends taxed?

Yes, at your slab rate. A company or fund deducts 10% TDS when it pays you more than ₹10,000 in dividends in a year.

How is F&O and intraday trading taxed?

As business income, reported in ITR-3. F&O losses can be carried forward for eight years; intraday (speculative) losses for four years, and only against speculative gains.

How is crypto taxed?

At a flat 30% (plus cess) on gains, with no deduction except the purchase cost. Losses can't be set off against any other income, and 1% TDS is deducted on sales. Crypto income needs ITR-2 or ITR-3.

Rules for FY 2025-26 income, updated 23 September 2026. Section numbers are from the Income-tax Act 1961; the Income-tax Act 2025 renumbers them from FY 2026-27. This is general information, not tax advice.

Free tools for you

Which ITR form should I file?

Find out if you must file, and which form fits.

Capital gains calculator

Gains, tax and a Schedule 112A file from your CAS.

Import your CAS

See all your mutual funds and shares from one statement.

SIP Calculator

Project what a monthly SIP grows to.

CAGR Calculator

Find the yearly growth rate of an investment.

Expense Ratio Calculator

See what fund fees cost you over time.

Position Size Calculator

Size a trade to your risk.

Guides

Coming soon

  • Automatic import of your broker's tax P&L file

Frequently asked questions

Is long-term capital gain on shares tax-free up to ₹1.25 lakh?
Yes. Long-term gains on listed shares and equity mutual funds up to ₹1.25 lakh a year are tax-free; the rest is taxed at 12.5%.
Which ITR form do I file if I sold shares?
ITR-1 or ITR-4 if your only gains are long-term gains on listed equity up to ₹1.25 lakh. Otherwise ITR-2, or ITR-3 if you also trade F&O or intraday.