If you lead HR, CSR, or People, your employees are about to start hearing a lot about “new tax breaks for giving to charity” in 2026.
That’s good news.
But it also means they’ll come to you with questions.
This guide is designed to make your job easier. It gives you:
- A simple way to explain the new rules in plain English
- Copy-and-paste templates for email, Slack/Teams, and live talking points
- An employee FAQ you can drop into your intranet, benefits guide, or help center
Use what you like, edit what you need, and make it your own.
Quick note: This is general educational information, not tax advice. Always encourage employees to talk to a tax professional or review IRS guidance for their personal situation.
The New 2026 Charitable Giving Tax Incentives, In Plain English
Here’s the simplest way to understand the new rules starting in 2026:
- Most people in the U.S. take the standard deduction when they file taxes.
- Historically, those people did not get any tax benefit for charitable giving.
- Starting with the 2026 tax year, they now get a new charitable tax deduction.
For employees who take the standard deduction:
- They can deduct up to $1,000 of their own charitable donations each year (individual filers)
- Or up to $2,000 if they are married filing jointly
A few important points you can share with employees:
- The deduction only applies to donations made in 2026 and later, not 2025 giving.
- It applies to cash gifts (credit card, payroll giving, ACH, etc.) to qualified charities.
- It does not apply to gifts to donor-advised funds or most private foundations.
- It’s a separate benefit from your company’s matching gift program (their donations qualify, not the company’s match).
If you’re using a centralized platform like the Percent Pledge Giving Platform, employees can see all their giving in one place and download IRS-compliant receipts at tax time. Our charity vetting also ensures the nonprofits they support are eligible charities under IRS rules.
Your Communication Goals As HR / CSR
Your job is not to give tax advice.
Your job is to help employees:
- Know that a new benefit exists
- Understand it at a basic level
- Feel confident using your giving program to take advantage of it
Everything in this blog supports those three goals.
Copy-and-Paste: Email Template To Announce The New Tax Benefit
You can send this as an all-employee email from HR, CSR, or your People team. Edit company name and program details as needed.
Subject: New in 2026: Tax savings for giving to charity
Hi team,
Starting in January 2026, there’s a new tax benefit for charitable giving that applies to most people in the U.S.
If you take the standard deduction when you file your taxes (about 90% of Americans do), you will now be able to deduct a portion of your charitable donations each year:
- Up to $1,000 if you file as an individual
- Up to $2,000 if you’re married filing jointly
This is a new tax rule that starts with donations you make in 2026. It’s designed to reward everyday giving, not just large gifts.
What this means for you:
- Your personal donations to qualified charities can now reduce your tax bill
- Our company giving program makes it easy to track those donations in one place
- If you participate in our matching gift program, your donation goes even further
You don’t have to do anything right now. We’ll share reminders and resources as we get closer to 2026, including how to download your giving receipts and where to find more information.
This email is for general education only and isn’t tax advice. Everyone’s situation is different, so please talk to a tax professional or check IRS guidance if you have specific questions about your own taxes.
If you’d like to explore causes to support or set up recurring giving, you can log into our giving portal here: [link to internal giving portal or the Percent Pledge Giving Platform].
Thank you for all the ways you give back.
[Name]
[Title]
If you already use Percent Pledge’s Matching Gifts and Giving Platform, you can also add a line explaining how to see year-to-date donations or access receipts.
Copy-and-Paste: Slack / Teams Message Template
Shorter and built for quick channels like Slack or Teams.
Starting in 2026, there’s a new national tax benefit for charitable giving that applies to most people who take the standard deduction.
You may now be able to deduct up to:
- $1,000 of your own donations (if you file as an individual)
- $2,000 if you’re married filing jointly
This is a new rule starting with donations made in 2026 and later. It’s meant to reward everyday giving, not just large gifts.
If you give through our company’s giving program, you’ll be able to track donations and download receipts to use when you file your taxes.
This is general information only, not tax advice. If you have specific questions about your situation, please talk to a tax professional or review IRS guidance.
In the meantime, you can explore causes and set up giving here: [link to your program / Percent Pledge portal].
Copy-and-Paste: Talking Points For All-Hands Or Manager Meetings
Use these in live sessions, town halls, or manager huddles. Keep it simple and repeatable.
You can say something like:
- “There’s a new nationwide tax benefit for charitable giving that starts in 2026.”
- “In the past, only people who itemized their taxes got a tax break for giving. Now most people who take the standard deduction do too.”
- “If you file as an individual, you may be able to deduct up to $1,000 of your donations each year. If you’re married filing jointly, up to $2,000.”
- “This applies to donations you make in 2026 and beyond, to qualified charities.”
- “Our giving program makes it easy to give, track your donations, and download receipts at tax time.”
- “We can’t give personal tax advice, but we want you to know this benefit exists so you can talk to your tax advisor if it’s relevant to you.”
If you’re using Percent Pledge, it’s also a good time to remind employees that our Passion Assessment can help them discover which causes matter most to them so they can use this new incentive in a way that feels personal and meaningful.
Copy-and-Paste: Employee FAQ About The New 2026 Charitable Tax Incentives
You can drop this FAQ into an intranet page, benefits guide, or help center article. It’s written so employees can skim and understand quickly.
Feel free to edit “we” / “our company” to match your voice.
1. What exactly changed in 2026?
Starting with donations made in 2026, most people who take the standard deduction can now claim a separate tax deduction for charitable giving.
This is new. Before 2026, people who took the standard deduction generally did not get any tax benefit from their charitable donations.
2. How much can I deduct?
If you qualify, you may be able to deduct:
- Up to $1,000 of your own donations if you file as an individual
- Up to $2,000 if you’re married and file a joint return
This is an annual maximum. If you give less, you can deduct the amount you gave (subject to IRS rules). If you give more, your deduction is capped at those limits.
3. Who qualifies for this new deduction?
In general, it’s designed for people who:
- Take the standard deduction (instead of itemizing), and
- Make cash donations to qualified charities in 2026 or later
If you itemize your deductions, you follow the separate rules for itemized charitable deductions. Those rules also change starting in 2026, but they are different from this new standard-deduction benefit.
4. What kinds of donations count?
The new deduction generally applies to:
- Cash, check, or card donations
- Payroll giving through an approved workplace giving program
- Donations to IRS-qualified public charities (like most nonprofits, schools, and religious organizations)
It does not cover:
- Gifts to donor-advised funds (DAFs)
- Most private foundations
- Gifts to individuals, political campaigns, or for-profit companies
- Non-cash donations (like clothing or furniture) for this specific new deduction
If you give through our company’s giving program, the nonprofits in our system are vetted as qualifying charities through Percent Pledge’s charity vetting.
5. Does my company’s match count toward my personal limit?
No. The deduction is based on your own donations, not the company’s match.
The good news is that when you combine:
- Your donation (which may now be tax-deductible), and
- Your employer’s matching gift (company funds)
…your total impact is much larger, with the same or even lower after-tax cost to you.
Our matching program is managed through Percent Pledge’s Matching Gifts, which makes it easy to see your gift, the company’s match, and your total impact.
6. Can I claim this for donations I make in 2025?
No. The new deduction applies to donations made in 2026 and later.
If you donate in 2025, those gifts fall under the old rules.
7. How do I actually use this at tax time?
When you file your 2026 tax return (in early 2027), you would:
- Confirm you qualify (for example, that you’re taking the standard deduction)
- Total up your eligible 2026 charitable donations
- Report them on the line for the new charitable deduction (the IRS will publish instructions and forms)
You will also need receipts or records of your gifts.
If you give through our company’s program, you’ll be able to download a summary of your donations and individual receipts from the Giving Platform at tax time.
We can’t complete your tax return for you or advise you on your choices, but we can make sure you have the records you need.
8. Is this tax advice from the company?
No. Our role is to make you aware of this new benefit and make it easy for you to give and track your donations.
This FAQ is for general information only. We always recommend you speak with a tax professional or refer to official IRS guidance for questions about your personal tax situation.
How Percent Pledge Can Help You Roll This Out
If you’re already running a giving or matching program, this is a perfect moment to upgrade the experience.
Percent Pledge brings everything into one place:
- A single Giving Platform where employees can give, see their impact, and download tax receipts
- Matching Gifts to multiply employee donations
- Charity vetting so all donations flow to eligible, verified nonprofits
- Tools like the Passion Assessment and Campaigns that increase participation and keep everything aligned with causes your employees care about
If you’d like help building employee communications, rollout plans, or matching strategies around the new 2026 incentives, our team does this every day.
Ready To Help Your Employees Take Advantage Of The New Rules?
The 2026 charitable tax changes are a rare example of policy making “doing good” and “doing what’s financially smart” line up for your employees.
You can help them:
- Understand the new benefit
- Use your giving program with confidence
- Make a bigger impact on the causes they care about
If you want a partner to help make that simple, we’d be glad to help.
Request a demo: https://www.percentpledge.com/request-a-demo