New tax law makes 2025 a strategic year for giving

Estate & Giving

Highlighting key provisions for itemizers, non-itemizers and corporations.

At nearly 900 pages, US legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced numerous tax law provisions. With so much to decipher, it would be understandable if you skipped over the changes related to charitable giving since they don’t go into effect until 2026.

The coming changes, however, have strategic implications for 2025.

Notably, you may want to maximize the deduction benefits of current tax law ahead of new floors and caps that will be introduced for itemizers in 2026. Non-itemizers may want to do the same, if possible, though for some it could be more strategic to let the calendar flip.

Considerations:

• Accelerating plans for giving to 2025

• Bunching multiple years of giving into a single year

• Using a donor advised fund for increased flexibility

• Deferring qualified cash donations to 2026 (for non-itemizers)

Key provisions for itemizers

Beginning in 2026, itemized charitable deductions will apply only to contributions that exceed 0.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). For example, if your AGI is $350,000, only donations above $1,750 will be deductible. For high earners, charitable deductions will be capped at 35% of the donation amount, down from the current top marginal rate of 37%.

The tax law that remains in effect for 2025 has no AGI-related floor and maintains the slightly higher allowance for the 37% marginal tax rate.

This is where itemizers may want to consider accelerating their planned giving in 2025 or utilizing a donor advised fund (DAF), which is a charitable investment account that allows for a same-year tax deduction for contributions of cash, stocks or other assets while allowing you to recommend grants to charities over time. Once funds are in a DAF, they cannot be withdrawn for other purposes, but for those committed to giving, a DAF offers strategic flexibility.

A DAF accommodates what is referred to as a bunching strategy, which combines the donations of two or more years into a single year. The tax benefit comes in the year the lump sum contribution is made into the DAF. And with the flexibility of a DAF, gifts or donations can be made to eligible charities into the future on a cadence of your choosing.

Also, assets in a DAF can be invested, potentially increasing the value and, therefore, power of your original contribution. 

Key provisions for non-itemizers

The new law will reintroduce and increase an above-the-line deduction for qualified charitable contributions, making a deduction available to taxpayers who do not itemize. Starting in 2026, individuals can deduct up to $1,000, and joint filers can deduct $2,000. Once it takes effect, this provision does not expire.

Donations made in 2025, however, remain subject to existing tax law and cannot be deducted by non-itemizers.

It’s worth noting that even once the new deduction goes into effect, gifts to DAFs and private foundations will not be eligible for deductions by non-itemizers. So, for a non- itemizer who plans to open or contribute to a DAF or a private non-operating foundation in 2026 and beyond, it could be strategic to accelerate your giving to 2025 if the total of your eligible deductions would enable you to itemize on your 2025 tax return.

If your total deductions remain below the itemizing threshold for 2025, and you are not contributing to a DAF or private foundation, a donation made on December 31, 2025, would not be deductible. A donation made on January 1, 2026, would potentially qualify for the above-the-line deduction.

Key provisions for corporations

Starting in 2026, corporate entities will be able to deduct only charitable contributions that exceed 1% of taxable income, though an overall cap of 10% remains.

Similar to the new provisions for individuals who itemize, businesses that give back to their communities through donations or would like to implement a planned giving strategy may want to accelerate their giving to 2025 or consider using a DAF to maximize tax efficiency and giving power.

For example, if a company typically donates 3% of its taxable income each year, the first 1% of that donation will no longer be deductible starting in 2026. Bunching two or even three years’ worth of donations into a single year would allow the business to deduct all but 1% of the total donation.

A single-year donation just below the 10% cap could prove to be most tax efficient in the long term. Making grants from the DAF to a company’s chosen causes can be done into the future, either on a planned cadence or as need arises. 

What about donations from IRAs?

The new law does not alter the rules for qualified charitable distributions from IRAs. In 2025, if you are 70 1/2 or older, you can donate up to $108,000 annually directly from your IRA to a qualified charity without it counting as taxable income.

With so much to consider, a team of experienced professionals can help you maximize your gifting power and your tax efficiency in 2025 and beyond.

Changes in tax laws or regulations may occur at any time and could substantially impact your situation. While we are familiar with the tax provisions of the issues presented herein, as Financial Advisors we are not qualified to render advice on tax or legal matters. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.

Donors are urged to consult their attorneys, accountants or tax advisors with respect to questions relating to the deductibility of various types of contributions to a Donor-Advised Fund for federal and state tax purposes.