{
  "slug": "charitable-deduction",
  "title": "Charitable Donation Tax Deduction Calculator",
  "heading": "Charitable Donation Tax Savings Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/charitable-deduction",
  "summary": "What a gift actually costs you after the deduction.",
  "description": "A deduction only helps if you itemize, and only for the amount above the standard deduction. This estimates the federal and state tax saved by a gift and shows the true after-tax cost. Estimates only — confirm with a tax professional.",
  "formula": "Tax saved = deductible amount × (federal marginal rate + state rate); net cost = gift − tax saved.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=charitable-deduction",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "gift",
      "label": "Charitable gift",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "otherItemized",
      "label": "Other itemized deductions",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 16000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "standard",
      "label": "Your standard deduction",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 30000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "bracket",
      "label": "Federal marginal bracket",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "24",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "10",
          "label": "10%"
        },
        {
          "value": "12",
          "label": "12%"
        },
        {
          "value": "22",
          "label": "22%"
        },
        {
          "value": "24",
          "label": "24%"
        },
        {
          "value": "32",
          "label": "32%"
        },
        {
          "value": "35",
          "label": "35%"
        },
        {
          "value": "37",
          "label": "37%"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "state",
      "label": "State marginal rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 15
    },
    {
      "id": "appreciated",
      "label": "Unrealized gain if donating stock",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "capGains",
      "label": "Capital gains rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 40
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "netCost",
      "label": "After-tax cost of the gift",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "saved",
      "label": "Total tax saved",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "benefit",
      "label": "Deductible amount that actually counts",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "cgSaved",
      "label": "Capital gains tax avoided",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "effective",
      "label": "Effective subsidy rate",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "itemize",
      "label": "Should you itemize?",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Charitable gift: 10000 $",
      "Other itemized deductions: 16000 $",
      "Your standard deduction: 30000 $",
      "Federal marginal bracket: 24%",
      "State marginal rate: 5 %",
      "Unrealized gain if donating stock: 0 $",
      "Capital gains rate: 15 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "After-tax cost of the gift: $10,000",
      "Total tax saved: $0",
      "Deductible amount that actually counts: $0",
      "Capital gains tax avoided: $0",
      "Effective subsidy rate: 0.0%",
      "Should you itemize?: No — standard deduction is larger"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter charitable gift ($).",
      "Enter other itemized deductions ($).",
      "Enter your standard deduction ($).",
      "Enter federal marginal bracket.",
      "Enter state marginal rate (%).",
      "Enter unrealized gain if donating stock ($).",
      "Enter capital gains rate (%).",
      "Read your after-tax cost of the gift on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "gift": 6000,
        "otherItemized": 9500,
        "standard": 18000,
        "bracket": "24",
        "state": 3,
        "appreciated": 0,
        "capGains": 9
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "gift": 10000,
        "otherItemized": 16000,
        "standard": 30000,
        "bracket": "24",
        "state": 5,
        "appreciated": 0,
        "capGains": 15
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "gift": 16000,
        "otherItemized": 25500,
        "standard": 48000,
        "bracket": "24",
        "state": 8,
        "appreciated": 0,
        "capGains": 24
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why does my gift sometimes save nothing?",
      "a": "Because the standard deduction is large. If your other itemized deductions are well below it, the first several thousand dollars of giving only closes the gap and produces no incremental tax benefit."
    },
    {
      "q": "What is bunching?",
      "a": "Combining two or three years of giving into one tax year — often through a donor-advised fund — so that year clears the standard deduction while the others take the standard. It can recover most of the lost benefit."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/donor-retention",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/nonprofit-overhead-ratio"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Charitable Donation Tax Deduction Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/charitable-deduction)"
}