Calculate your tax deduction for donating cryptocurrency to charity. Deduction equals FMV if held over 1 year or cost basis if held 1 year or less.
Donating cryptocurrency to a qualified charity can provide significant tax benefits. If you've held the crypto for more than one year, you can deduct the full fair market value (FMV) at the time of donation — and you don't pay capital gains tax on the appreciation. This makes donating appreciated crypto one of the most tax-efficient ways to give.
If you've held the crypto for one year or less (short-term), your deduction is limited to your original cost basis, not the FMV. This means the appreciation is not deductible. Additionally, charitable deductions for crypto are limited to 30% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for FMV donations and 50% for cost-basis donations.
This calculator estimates your charitable deduction, the capital gains tax you avoid by donating instead of selling, and the AGI limitation on your deduction. It helps you optimize your charitable giving strategy for maximum tax benefit. This tool is for educational purposes only and is not tax or financial advice.
Donating appreciated crypto is significantly more tax-efficient than selling and donating cash. This calculator quantifies the tax savings so you can compare strategies. It also checks whether your deduction exceeds the AGI limitation, helping you plan multi-year charitable giving. Real-time recalculation lets you model different market scenarios quickly, so you can act with confidence rather than relying on rough mental estimates.
Deduction = FMV (if held >1 year) or Cost Basis (if held ≤1 year) AGI Limit = 30% × AGI (for FMV donations) or 50% × AGI (for basis donations) Allowable Deduction = min(Deduction, AGI Limit) Tax Savings = Allowable Deduction × Marginal Tax Rate Capital Gains Avoided = (FMV − Cost Basis) × Capital Gains Rate
Result: $12,000 tax savings + $6,000 capital gains avoided
You donate crypto worth $50,000 with a $10,000 cost basis held over 1 year. Deduction = $50,000 FMV. AGI limit = 30% × $200,000 = $60,000 (not exceeded). Tax savings = $50,000 × 24% = $12,000. You also avoid $40,000 × 15% = $6,000 in capital gains tax.
Donating appreciated crypto is more tax-efficient than selling and donating cash. When you sell crypto, you pay capital gains tax on the appreciation. When you donate directly, you avoid that tax and still deduct the full FMV. This effectively gives you a double tax benefit.
If your crypto donation exceeds 30% of your AGI, the excess can be carried forward for up to 5 years. This means a large one-time donation can provide tax benefits over multiple years. Plan your giving to maximize the deduction each year.
Many charities accept crypto directly through platforms like The Giving Block, BitPay, or Coinbase Commerce. Donor-advised funds (DAFs) like Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable also accept crypto, letting you take the deduction now and distribute to charities later.
Yes. Donating cryptocurrency to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity is tax deductible. For long-term held crypto (>1 year), you deduct the FMV. For short-term held crypto (≤1 year), you deduct the cost basis.
No. When you donate crypto directly to a qualified charity, you do not owe capital gains tax on the appreciation. This is a major advantage over selling and donating the proceeds.
For FMV-based deductions (long-term crypto), the limit is 30% of your adjusted gross income. For cost-basis deductions (short-term crypto), the limit is 50% of AGI. Excess amounts carry forward for 5 years.
For crypto donations valued over $5,000, you need a qualified appraisal and must attach Form 8283 to your tax return. For donations under $5,000, you need documentation of the FMV but not a formal appraisal.
Yes. You can transfer crypto from any wallet to a charity's wallet address. Many charities now accept crypto directly through platforms like The Giving Block. The key is that the transfer goes directly to the charity.
Keep the charity's acknowledgment letter, the date of donation, the FMV at donation, your cost basis, the transaction hash, and a qualified appraisal if the donation exceeds $5,000. Always verify with current data, as conditions may change over time.