What a donation is worth back
Donating to a registered Canadian charity earns a non-refundable tax credit — federal and provincial, combined. The first $200 each year is credited at a lower rate than everything above it, and the rates vary a lot by province.
Income is only used to check whether you reach the top tax bracket, where donations above $200 attract a higher federal rate. Leave it blank and the estimate stays conservative.
Estimate
Choose a province or territory. Rates differ enough between them that a figure without one would be wrong for most of the country — Alberta credits the first $200 at 60%, Nunavut at 4%.
What this does not include
This estimates the credit for a cash donation made in one year, at 2026 rates. It does not model unused credit carried forward (you can carry it five years), pooling donations with a spouse, the first-time donor rules, gifts of securities or other property, or any interaction with the alternative minimum tax. Two limits it does not apply, which push the estimate in opposite directions: donations claimed in a year are capped at 75% of net income, and anything above that carries forward rather than counting now — so a very large gift is overstated here; and in Ontario it uses the statutory 11.16% rate above $200, so a donor who pays Ontario surtax gets back more than this shows. It is an estimate to plan with, not tax advice.
Find a registered charity — only gifts to registered charities and other qualified donees earn the credit, and a receipt is required to claim it.
Source: CRA — Current year tax rates and income brackets (2026), read 14 August 2026; Revenu Québec — Income tax rates (2026), read 14 August 2026; KPMG — Federal and Provincial/Territorial Non-Refundable Tax Credit Rates and Amounts 2026 (current as of 30 June 2026); TaxTips.ca — 2026 donation tax credit rates; Revenu Québec — Tax credits for donations and gifts; CRA — Donations and gifts (line 34900). Data current as of 2026 tax year, rates verified 2026-08-14. An estimate, not tax advice.