Executive summary: The post argues that most charitable giving advice overemphasizes itemized tax deductions, which are irrelevant for most U.S. donors, and that consistent, impact-focused giving matters more than tax optimization, with a few specific tax tools being genuinely useful.
Key points:
The author claims around 90% of U.S. taxpayers take the standard deduction ($16,100 for single filers in 2026), so itemized charitable deductions often do not change tax outcomes.
Starting in 2026, itemizers face a 0.5% of Adjusted Gross Income floor before charitable donations become deductible, further reducing the appeal of itemizing.
“Bunching” donations into a single year can create tax benefits but, according to the author, may undermine consistent giving habits that charities rely on.
A new above-the-line deduction beginning in 2026 allows non-itemizers to deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) in cash donations.
Donating appreciated assets avoids capital gains tax entirely, which the author describes as one of the most powerful and broadly applicable tax benefits.
Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) allow donors aged 70½ or older to give from IRAs tax-free and potentially satisfy required minimum distributions.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, andcontact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: The post argues that most charitable giving advice overemphasizes itemized tax deductions, which are irrelevant for most U.S. donors, and that consistent, impact-focused giving matters more than tax optimization, with a few specific tax tools being genuinely useful.
Key points:
The author claims around 90% of U.S. taxpayers take the standard deduction ($16,100 for single filers in 2026), so itemized charitable deductions often do not change tax outcomes.
Starting in 2026, itemizers face a 0.5% of Adjusted Gross Income floor before charitable donations become deductible, further reducing the appeal of itemizing.
“Bunching” donations into a single year can create tax benefits but, according to the author, may undermine consistent giving habits that charities rely on.
A new above-the-line deduction beginning in 2026 allows non-itemizers to deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) in cash donations.
Donating appreciated assets avoids capital gains tax entirely, which the author describes as one of the most powerful and broadly applicable tax benefits.
Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) allow donors aged 70½ or older to give from IRAs tax-free and potentially satisfy required minimum distributions.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.