Calculating any kind of tax, and the rate which you should apply to it, is not for the fainthearted. This is especially true of capital gains taxes. Why? Because so many factors can, and usually do, come into play when you’re dealing with capital gains. To begin with, as you already likely know, there are two types of capital gains taxes, one of which you’re sure to be liable for when you sell or otherwise dispose of an asset: long-term and short-term. Each of these has its own rate structure.