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Currency gain and loss: Calculate the result

If you have bought foreign currency and later sold it again, the result depends on both the change in the exchange rate and your fees. The calculator combines the two trades and shows the gain or loss in your own currency.

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Applies to the amounts in this calculator.

How much foreign currency you bought, for example 1,000 euros.

The price in your currency for one unit when you bought.

The price in your currency for one unit when you sold.

The fee on the purchase in your currency.

EUR

The fee on the sale in your currency.

EUR

Before tax. Both rates are in your currency per unit of foreign currency.

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Worked example
  • Number of currency units: 1,000
  • Purchase rate (your currency per unit): 6.5
  • Sale rate (your currency per unit): 7
  • Fee on purchase: 50.00 EUR
  • Fee on sale: 50.00 EUR

Result

Cost of purchase

6,550 EUR

Sale proceeds

6,950 EUR

Effect of the exchange rate

500 EUR

Gain before tax

400 EUR

Return

6.1069 %

Working

  1. cost = U × q₀ + F₀
    1,000 × 6.5 + 50.00 EUR = 6,550.00 EUR
  2. sale proceeds = U × q₁ − F₁
    1,000 × 7 − 50.00 EUR = 6,950.00 EUR
  3. effect of the rate = U × (q₁ − q₀)
    1,000 × (7 − 6.5) = 500.00 EUR
  4. gain = sale proceeds − cost
    6,950.00 EUR − 6,550.00 EUR = 400.00 EUR
  5. return = 100 × gain / cost
    100 × 400.00 EUR / 6,550.00 EUR = 6.1069 %

Enter the number of currency units, the purchase and sale rate and the costs of each trade. Both rates must be given as your currency per unit of foreign currency.

How the currency return is calculated

The cost of purchase is the currency amount times the purchase rate plus the purchase fee. The sale proceeds are the same currency amount times the sale rate minus the sale fee.

Currency gain = sale proceeds − cost of purchase. If you divide the gain by the cost of purchase and multiply by 100, you get the return in percent.

Example with 1,000 dollars

You buy 1,000 USD at 6.50 per dollar and sell them at 7.00. Without fees, the cost of purchase is 6,500, the sale gives 7,000, and the gain is 500.

If you pay 50 on both the purchase and the sale, the gain is 400. The return is about 6.11% of the total cost of purchase of 6,550, before tax.

Use the rates you actually traded at

A historical reference rate can be used for an estimate. If you have trade confirmations, their actual rates and fees give a more precise result for your own trade.

The calculator is based on a currency holding without interest or leverage. If the money has been invested in stocks, the change in the share price and any dividends come on top. You can find the total result with the foreign stocks calculator, which keeps the share price and the exchange rate separate.