In 2025, your charitable donations will only benefit you if you are itemizing your deductions. Your state and local taxes (SALT), mortgage interest, charitable donations, medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your AGI, and a few other items would have to add up to more than your standard deduction in order for itemizing to give you the better tax outcome.
Starting in 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) significantly changes charitable tax rules, allowing non-itemizers to deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) in cash donations.
