Calculating your capital gain is straightforward once you know the Capital Gain Percentage formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the Capital Gain Percentage Calculator.
What is Capital Gain Percentage?
The Capital Gain Percentage calculation tells you your capital gain from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the capital gain, expressed in percent.
The Capital Gain Percentage formula
The core formula is:
Capital gain = (Sale price - Purchase price) ÷ Purchase price × 100Here is what each input means:
- Purchase price — a money amount. Example: ₹1,000.
- Sale price — a money amount. Example: ₹1,200.
How to calculate it step by step
- Write down the purchase price (for example, ₹1,000).
- Write down the sale price (for example, ₹1,200).
- Apply the formula above to get your capital gain.
- Double-check the result with the Capital Gain Percentage Calculator.
Worked examples
Example 1
| Input / Output | Value |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | ₹1,000 |
| Sale price | ₹1,200 |
| Capital gain | 20.00% |
| Gain amount | ₹200.00 |
With purchase price of ₹1,000 and sale price of ₹1,200, the capital gain works out to 20.00%.
Example 2
With purchase price of ₹2,000 and sale price of ₹1,200, the capital gain works out to -40.00%.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Capital gain | -40.00% |
| Gain amount | -₹800.00 |
Example 3
With purchase price of ₹500 and sale price of ₹1,200, the capital gain works out to 140.00%.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Capital gain | 140.00% |
| Gain amount | ₹700.00 |
Tips for an accurate result
- Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
- Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
- Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.
- Annual rates must be converted to the period you are calculating for (for example, divide an annual rate by 12 for a monthly figure).
Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the Capital Gain Percentage Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.
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