IRS data shows only 11% of filers itemize deductions post-TCJA, meaning 89% of Americans get zero tax benefit from charitable giving. But several powerful strategies exist to maximize both your deduction and your impact.
This guide covers the bunching strategy (concentrating multi-year donations into a single tax year to clear the $31,400 MFJ standard deduction), donor-advised funds (DAF assets hit $234B per National Philanthropic Trust 2025), donating appreciated stock to eliminate capital gains tax, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs up to $105K for those 70.5+), and charitable remainder trusts for large estates.
Originally published on WealthWise OS.