Charitable Tax Deduction Calculator
Estimate the tax savings from a charitable donation.
Because your $100,000 donation exceeds the $6,000 standard deduction, the excess is deductible — saving about $23,500 in tax and making the real cost of your gift $76,500.
Tax Savings vs. Donation Cost
Estimates only, not financial, tax, or legal advice. See our Terms and Privacy Policy.
Charitable giving can lower your tax bill, but not dollar-for-dollar and not for everyone. The benefit depends on whether you itemize: donations only help to the extent your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction you'd get anyway. For many taxpayers who take the standard deduction, an additional gift provides no federal tax savings at all.
This calculator estimates the actual tax savings from a donation and the real after-tax cost of your gift, given your tax rate and deduction situation; for a large gift of appreciated stock, the charitable remainder trust calculator models the trust route instead.
How does this calculator work?
Enter your donation amount, marginal tax rate, and standard deduction. The calculator estimates the tax savings and the real after-tax cost of your gift.
Charitable donations only reduce taxes to the extent your itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction, so the benefit depends on your full tax picture.
Worked example
A $10,000 cash gift from a taxpayer in the 24% bracket whose other itemized deductions already exceed the standard deduction.
- Donation
- $10,000
- Marginal tax rate
- 24%
- Tax savings
- $2,400
- Real after-tax cost
- $7,600
How the numbers work
The tax savings is the donation times your marginal rate: $10,000 × 24% = $2,400, but only because this donor already itemizes, so the full gift sits on top of the standard deduction.
The real cost of the gift is what leaves your pocket after that saving: $10,000 − $2,400 = $7,600. A higher tax bracket would shrink that cost further; taking the standard deduction instead could erase the saving entirely.
When the gift is fully deductible, the $10,000 donation costs $7,600 after tax, because it cuts $2,400 from the tax bill. The higher your bracket, the lower the after-tax cost.
If you'd otherwise take the standard deduction, the first chunk of giving may save nothing, which is why some donors 'bunch' several years of gifts into one tax year to clear the standard-deduction threshold.
Charitable Tax Deduction Calculator glossary
- Donation Amount
- The value of cash or property you donate.
- Marginal Tax Rate
- The tax rate on your next dollar of income.
- Standard Deduction
- The flat deduction you get without itemizing; itemizing only helps above it.
- Itemized Deductions
- Specific deductions (charity, mortgage interest, state taxes) you can claim instead of the standard deduction.
- Bunching
- Combining several years' donations into one tax year to clear the standard deduction and maximize the benefit.
- Donor-Advised Fund
- An account you contribute to (and deduct) now, then grant to charities over time; often used for bunching.
- AGI Limit
- A cap on how much charitable giving you can deduct in a year, set as a percentage of adjusted gross income.
Charitable Tax Deduction Calculator FAQs
Do charitable donations always lower my taxes?+
Only if you itemize and your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction. Below that threshold, donations provide no additional federal tax benefit.
What's the real cost of a donation?+
Your gift minus the tax you save. At a 24% rate, a fully deductible $10,000 gift costs $7,600 after tax.
What is bunching donations?+
Combining several years' worth of charitable gifts into a single tax year so your itemized deductions clear the standard deduction that year, maximizing the tax benefit. A donor-advised fund is often used to do this.