The basics of a capital gain calculation is to find the difference between what you paid for your investment asset or property and what you sold it for. Taxpayers who are selling their home may qualify to exclude all or part of any gain from the sale from their income when filing their tax return.A 1031 exchange allows you to sell an investment or business property and buy another without paying capital gains taxes. Learn about capital gains tax on home sales, exemptions, and strategies to reduce tax liability. A capital gains tax is a tax imposed on the sale of an asset. A capital gains tax is a levy on the profit that an investor makes from the sale of an investment, such as stock shares. Here's how to calculate it. You would have to report that sale and possibly pay a capital gains tax on the resulting profit. Also, if you sell two properties, you can't use the exclusion on both homes in the same twoyear period. My wife and I are looking to sell our Florida primary residence and relocate to Georgia.