Charitable Deduction Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the charitable deduction calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Formulas Used

Tax Savings

tax_savings = donation_amount * marginal_rate / 100

Net Cost of Donation

net_cost = donation_amount * (1 - marginal_rate / 100)

Effective Discount

effective_discount = marginal_rate

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
donation_amountDonation Amount(USD)5000
marginal_rateMarginal Tax Rate(%)22

How It Works

Charitable Deduction Tax Savings

Tax Savings = Donation x Marginal Tax Rate

Net Cost = Donation x (1 - Tax Rate)

Charitable donations are deductible only if you itemize. They must be to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations.

Worked Example

$5,000 donation at 22% marginal rate.

donation_amount = 5000marginal_rate = 22
  1. 01Tax savings = $5,000 x 22% = $1,100
  2. 02Net cost = $5,000 - $1,100 = $3,900

Ready to run the numbers?

Open Charitable Deduction Calculator