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All tools Checked September 3, 2026

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Charitable Giving Tax Calculator

How much of a gift may be deductible, and how much tax might it save?

Estimate how much of a gift may be used as a deduction now or later.

How to use it

Start with the numbers you know.

Estimates are okay. Nothing is submitted when you calculate.

What this calculator estimates

Estimate how much of a gift may be used as a deduction now or later.

Question-mark icons explain less-obvious terms. Hover, focus, or tap them for plain-English help.
Tax return
AGI means adjusted gross income. Use the amount from the tax return or a current-year projection rather than gross household cash flow.
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Enter deductions you expect to itemize before adding the deduction being tested in this calculator.
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Use the standard deduction that would apply if you did not itemize deductions.
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Gift
Confirm the recipient's deduction-limit category before relying on an estimate.
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This screen assumes capital-gain property held more than one year and a fair-market-value deduction is otherwise permitted.
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This amount is often called tax basis.
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Adjust assumptions

Defaults are prefilled. Review returns, timing, costs, and rates before relying on this estimate.

Tax rates
For 2026, the federal value of itemized deductions can be limited for some taxpayers in the top bracket. Only include a rate above 35% if a separate state benefit is appropriate.
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Include the extra investment-income tax if it applies.
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Start with the decision

How much of a gift may be deductible, and how much tax might it save?

The tax value of a charitable gift depends on whether the taxpayer itemizes, the donated asset, holding period, recipient organization, adjusted gross income limits, substantiation, and carryforward capacity. This planner compares immediate deduction capacity and potential avoided capital-gain tax without treating either as a guaranteed benefit.

Before you act on the number

See what the result means—and what could change it.

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How to read it

  • The current-year deduction is reduced by the 2026 floor and limited by the selected AGI screen and available itemized-deduction benefit.
  • Avoided capital-gain tax is an opportunity-cost illustration, not an additional charitable deduction.
  • A carryforward has value only if the taxpayer can use it within the permitted period and continues to itemize.
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What could change the answer

  • Complete itemized-deduction, Pease-style limitation, or federal and state tax-return calculations
  • Qualified appraisal, acknowledgment, Form 8283, bargain sale, or substantiation requirements
  • Private-foundation excise taxes, self-dealing, donor-advised fund restrictions, or split-interest trust rules
  • Estate, gift, or generation-skipping transfer consequences
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What to take forward

Use the result to identify which assumption needs verification, then bring that question to the professional helping you make the decision.

Transparent method

How the estimate works

See how the estimate is calculated

Classify the proposed gift as cash or appreciated property and identify the recipient category that determines the applicable percentage limitation.

Apply the 2026 0.5%-of-AGI floor, screen the current-year deductible amount against conservative percentage limits, and track only a modeled AGI-limit excess into a possible five-year carryforward window.

For appreciated assets, compare fair market value with tax basis to illustrate embedded gain that may not be realized by a qualifying direct donation.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Is donating appreciated stock better than donating cash?

It can preserve cash and may avoid realizing embedded capital gain, but deduction limits, holding period, basis, recipient type, portfolio needs, and administration all affect the comparison.

What are the charitable contribution AGI limits?

The limits vary by asset and recipient. The calculator uses a published framework that includes the general 60% limit for qualifying cash gifts and lower limits that often apply to appreciated property.

How long can unused charitable deductions carry forward?

Many contributions limited by AGI may be carried forward for up to five succeeding tax years, subject to ordering and percentage-limit rules. The 2026 floor by itself does not create a carryforward.

Does a charitable gift always reduce tax by the gift amount?

No. The tax effect depends on the allowable deduction, itemization, marginal rates, other deductions, and whether the contribution is usable in the current year or a future carryforward year.

Sources

Rules and references behind this calculator

See every published value
Federal charitable deduction AGI limits60% cash · generally 30% appreciated assetsEffective 2026-01-01 · checked 2026-09-03IRS Publication 526 framework

Want the fine print? See sources, methods, and limits.

Keep going

View every planning tool
Donor-Advised Fund Bunching CalculatorCould bunching charitable gifts create a larger usable federal deduction?Charitable Remainder Trust CalculatorWhat could a charitable remainder trust pay, and what may remain for charity?2026 Federal Estate Tax CalculatorCould this estate owe federal estate tax, and is there enough cash to pay it?