Giving Math

Give in December, January, or bunch two years together?

If you give a few thousand dollars a year, the 2026 tax rules changed what your gifts are worth. Put in your numbers and see, in dollars, which timing saves you the most. It's free and private, and nothing leaves your browser.

Gifts must be made by December 31 to count for 2026

Your giving math

How you file

How many of you are 65 or older?

Household income this year (2026) Your adjusted gross income, roughly. That's pay after 401(k) and HSA contributions, plus interest, dividends and other income.

Expected income next year (2027) Leave blank if it'll be about the same.

What you give in a typical year Cash, checks and card gifts to charities, all added up.

State and local taxes you pay each year State income tax (or sales tax) plus property tax.

Mortgage interest each year From your lender's Form 1098. Enter 0 if you rent.

Other itemized deductions Rare for most people. For example, medical costs above 7.5% of income. Usually 0.

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What changed for 2026, in plain English

You can deduct gifts without itemizing.If you take the standard deduction, you can now also deduct cash gifts to charity, up to $1,000, or $2,000 if you're married filing jointly. Gifts to donor-advised funds don't count.

Itemizers lose a small slice.If you itemize, the first 0.5% of your income in gifts doesn't count. At $160,000 of income, the first $800 of gifts gives you no deduction.

The standard deduction is big.It's $32,200 for married couples and $16,100 for single filers in 2026, so many households never itemize. Bunching gifts is often the only way over that line.

More room for state and local taxes.The cap on deducting state and local taxes rose to $40,400 for most households, so more people are close to the itemizing line. For high earners in the top bracket, itemized deductions are now trimmed so each dollar saves at most about 35 cents.

The Giving Math Pack

For when the calculator says "bunch" and you want to do it right, or you just want to be sure.

Bunching planner. A 5-year spreadsheet and a step-by-step guide that shows when to give, how much, and what it saves, with three worked household examples.
Donor-advised funds, in plain English. How they work, which fees to compare, how to open one before December 31, and how to keep your charities' support steady while you bunch.
Receipt checklist and gift log. The exact proof you need for each kind of gift, the year-end timing rules for checks, cards and stock, and a log to keep it all in one place.

$9 one time

Get the pack for $9

Secure checkout through Stripe. Instant download. Markdown and CSV files that open in Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers or any notes app.

Questions

Is this tax advice?

No. It's an estimate of your federal income tax to help you think it through. Rules have fine print, and your situation may have some too. For big gifts, check with a tax pro before you give.

What does "bunching" mean?

Giving two (or more) years' worth of gifts in one tax year, then giving little or nothing the next. Stacked together, your gifts can push you past the standard deduction, so they actually lower your tax. A donor-advised fund lets you bunch the deduction while your charities still get money every year.

Do my numbers go anywhere?

No. Everything is calculated on this page. Your entries are saved only in this browser so they're still here when you come back. Tap "Clear my numbers" to remove them.

What doesn't the calculator cover?

State income tax, gifts of stock or goods, gifts above 60% of your income, carryovers from past years, the alternative minimum tax and capital gains rates. It assumes your gifts are cash to regular public charities. It uses the IRS’s published 2026 and 2027 figures.

I'm 70½ or older. Anything different?

Probably yes, and it's good news. You can give straight from your IRA (a "qualified charitable distribution"). If it meets the IRS rules, it isn't taxed as income, so it can help even if you don't itemize (you can't also deduct it). The pack covers how.

What if I use a donor-advised fund?

Your deduction counts in the year you put money into the fund, not when the fund pays a charity. Two catches: fund contributions don't qualify for the new $1,000/$2,000 deduction for people who don't itemize, and the fund's sponsor legally controls the money once you give it.