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Charitable Donation Tax Deduction Calculator
Find out how much a gift to charity lowers your federal tax and what it really costs you. The calculator compares itemizing with the standard deduction, applies the AGI limits for cash and appreciated property, includes the new 2026 rules, and adds state tax savings and capital gains you avoid by giving stock.
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Your tax situation
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$
State/local taxes (capped), mortgage interest, etc.
Your gift
$
$
Held more than one year.
$
Optional extras
%
%
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the Charitable Donation Tax Deduction Calculator
Choose the tax year and filing status and enter your AGI.
Enter your other itemized deductions: state and local taxes (after the cap), mortgage interest and medical costs above the floor.
Enter your cash gift and, if you donate stock or other appreciated property held over a year, its value and cost basis.
Optionally add your state tax rate and capital gains rate.
Press Calculate to see your tax savings and after-tax cost.
How the tax savings are calculated
The calculator works out your federal tax twice, once without the gift and once with it, and the difference is your federal saving:
Federal savings = tax(AGI − best deduction without gift) − tax(AGI − best deduction with gift) After-tax cost = gift − federal savings − state savings − capital gains avoided
The “best deduction” is the larger of your standard deduction and your itemized deductions. Example for 2026: a married couple with $150,000 AGI and $22,000 of other itemized deductions gives $10,000 in cash. Without the gift they take the $32,200 standard deduction. With it, itemized deductions are $22,000 + ($10,000 − 0.5% × $150,000) = $31,250, which is still below $32,200, so they keep the standard deduction plus the new $2,000 non-itemizer deduction. Their taxable income falls in the 22% bracket, so the tax saving is only $2,000 × 22% = $440, an after-tax cost of $9,560. Bunching two years of gifts ($20,000) into one year would let them itemize.
Charitable deduction limits
Gift
To public charity / DAF
To private non-operating foundation
Cash
60% of AGI
30% of AGI
Appreciated property held > 1 year (at market value)
30% of AGI
20% of AGI (stock at market value; other property at basis)
Property held ≤ 1 year or ordinary income property
50% of AGI, deduction limited to cost basis
30% of AGI, at basis
Excess over the limit
Carried forward for up to 5 years
2025 vs 2026 rules at a glance
Rule
2025
2026 and later
Standard deduction (single / joint)
$15,750 / $31,500
$16,100 / $32,200
Deduction without itemizing
None
Up to $1,000 / $2,000 of cash to public charities
Floor for itemizers
None
Only gifts above 0.5% of AGI count
Top-bracket benefit
37%
Capped at 35%
Ways to give more efficiently: donate long-held appreciated stock instead of cash, bunch gifts into alternate years with a donor-advised fund, and from age 70½ give directly from an IRA with a qualified charitable distribution (up to $111,000 in 2026), which is excluded from income and counts toward your RMD.
Frequently asked questions
Are charitable donations tax deductible?
Gifts to qualified U.S. charities (501(c)(3) organizations, churches, schools and similar) are deductible on Schedule A if you itemize. For 2025 and earlier, you only benefit if your total itemized deductions beat the standard deduction. Starting in 2026, people who take the standard deduction can also deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) of cash gifts to public charities.
How much will I save in taxes by donating?
If you itemize, a deductible gift saves roughly your marginal tax rate: a $1,000 gift saves $220 in the 22% bracket and $240 in the 24% bracket, plus any state income tax savings. If the gift only partly pushes you above the standard deduction, the saving is smaller. This calculator works it out exactly by computing your tax with and without the gift.
What are the AGI limits for charitable deductions?
Cash gifts to public charities are deductible up to 60% of AGI. Appreciated property held more than a year, such as stock, is deductible at fair market value up to 30% of AGI. Gifts to private non-operating foundations have lower limits (30% cash, 20% property). Amounts over the limits carry forward for up to 5 years.
What changes for charitable deductions in 2026?
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, starting in 2026 non-itemizers get a cash charity deduction of up to $1,000 ($2,000 joint), itemizers can deduct only gifts above 0.5% of AGI, and the tax benefit of itemized deductions is capped at 35% for people in the 37% bracket. The 60% AGI limit for cash gifts was made permanent.
Is it better to donate stock than cash?
Often yes. If you give stock you have held over a year directly to a charity, you deduct its full market value and never pay capital gains tax on the increase. Selling the stock first and donating the cash would trigger that tax. Stock that has lost value is better sold first so you can deduct the loss, then donate the cash.
What records do I need for a donation deduction?
Keep a bank record or receipt for every cash gift. For any single gift of $250 or more you need a written acknowledgment from the charity, received by the time you file, stating the amount and whether you got anything in return. Non-cash gifts over $500 require Form 8283, and most over $5,000 need a qualified appraisal.
What is bunching charitable donations?
Bunching means combining two or more years of giving into one year so your itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction in that year, then taking the standard deduction in the off years. A donor-advised fund lets you take the deduction in the bunching year while sending grants to charities over time.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.