If you are asking "how much should I tithe," the simplest answer this calculator can give is a mathematical one: a tithe is 10% of your net income, the money that actually reaches you after taxes and other required deductions. If your paycheck deposits $1,600, a 10% tithe is $160, leaving $1,440. That single calculation is the foundation for everything else on this page.
Why This Calculator Uses Net Income, Not Gross Income
Many financial calculators default to gross income because that is the number used for tax and payroll purposes. This calculator deliberately uses net income instead: the amount you actually receive and have available to use, spend, save, or give. For a W-2 employee, that means the amount actually deposited into your account, not the salary figure printed at the top of your pay stub. If your paycheck shows $2,100 in gross pay but $1,750 is actually deposited after taxes, insurance, and retirement contributions, this calculator asks for $1,750, and your tithe is calculated as 10% of that number.
This is a deliberate methodology choice, not a claim that gross-income tithing is wrong. Many faithful believers tithe from gross income instead of net income, and this calculator does not criticize that approach. It simply is not the default calculation used here. If you prefer to tithe from your gross income, you can enter your gross pay directly into the net income field and the math will still work correctly for you.
Worked Examples by Pay Frequency
If you are paid every two weeks and $2,000 reaches your account each pay period, your tithe on that paycheck is $200, leaving $1,800 before any offering. Across a full year of 26 paychecks, that is $52,000 in annual net income and $5,200 in annual tithe.
If you are paid monthly and $4,000 reaches your account, your tithe is $400 for that month, or $4,800 across 12 months in a year.
If you are paid weekly and $800 reaches your account, your tithe is $80 for that week. Projected across a typical 52-week year, that is $4,160 in annual tithe.
If you are paid daily, this calculator does not assume you work 365 days a year. Instead, it asks how much you typically receive on a paid day, and lets you optionally project that over a year using the number of days you are actually paid per week and the number of weeks you actually work per year.
Tithing on Variable or Irregular Income
Not everyone receives the same amount every pay period. If your income varies, you can simply run this calculator each time you are paid, using whatever amount actually reached you that period. There is no requirement to project irregular income into an annual figure; the calculator will only show an annual projection when your pay frequency supports a consistent projection, and one-time income is never projected automatically.
How Contractors and the Self-Employed Should Calculate a Tithe
If you are a 1099 contractor, freelancer, or self-employed, your situation is different from a W-2 employee because taxes are not withheld from what you are paid. If you simply tithed on the full amount a client paid you, you could end up tithing on money that will actually need to go toward self-employment tax and income tax later.
This calculator allows contractors to subtract a tax reserve, and optionally legitimate business expenses, before the tithe is calculated. For example, if a client pays you $2,000 and you set aside $500 for taxes, your net income used for the tithe is $1,500, and your tithe is $150, not $200 on the full amount received. If you also had $400 in business expenses on a $3,000 payment, along with a $650 tax reserve, your net income used for the tithe would be $1,950, and your tithe would be $195.
If you are not sure how much of your contractor income you should set aside for taxes, our Take-Home Pay Calculator and Income Tax Calculator can help you estimate a reasonable reserve before you come back and calculate your tithe.
Does Proverbs 3:9-10 Promise That Giving Will Make Me Rich?
No. Proverbs 3:9-10 is a wisdom proverb about priority, not a financial contract or a guaranteed return on a gift. This calculator will never suggest that giving a specific dollar amount will produce a specific dollar return, and it will never attach a "multiplier" to your giving. Scripture describes real spiritual and material blessing tied to a life of generosity and trust in God, but it does not describe tithing as a transaction that is owed back to the giver on a fixed schedule. Be cautious of any teaching, on this site or elsewhere, that turns giving into a guaranteed investment.
What Is an Offering, and How Much Should It Be?
An offering, as used on this page, is any giving beyond your calculated tithe. Unlike the tithe, this calculator never sets a default offering percentage and never assumes you want to add one. If you choose to include an offering, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 describes the spirit behind it well: giving that is decided in your own heart, not given "grudgingly, or of necessity."
What Does Matthew 6:19-21 Have to Do With This?
Matthew 6:19-21 is included on this page as a reflection, not a formula. Jesus's teaching about treasures on earth versus treasures in heaven speaks to the posture of the heart behind giving. It is not used here to calculate a percentage, a dollar amount, or a promised return, and should not be read that way.
Should I Tithe Before or After Paying My Bills?
Many believers choose to give their tithe first, as an expression of the firstfruits principle in Proverbs 3:9-10, before other spending decisions. Others give it alongside their regular budget. This is ultimately a personal and spiritual decision between you, your household, and your convictions, not something this calculator can decide for you. If you would like help planning where your tithe fits alongside your other expenses, our Budget Calculator can help you build out a full monthly plan.
It is also worth noting that giving generously does not remove the wisdom of building financial stability. Many believers pair consistent tithing with steadily building an emergency fund, so that unexpected expenses do not derail either their giving or their finances. Our Emergency Fund Calculator can help you think through how much to set aside.
What About Bonuses, Commissions, or One-Time Gifts?
This calculator treats one-time income, such as a bonus, commission, gift, side job payment, or other unexpected income, as a standalone amount. It calculates the tithe on that single amount and does not automatically multiply it into an annual projection, because one-time income is not a recurring paycheck.
What If My Exact Tithe Has Cents in It?
Real paychecks rarely divide evenly by ten. If your net income is $1,465.30, your exact 10% tithe is $146.53. Some people prefer to give exactly that figure. Others prefer to round up to a whole dollar amount for simplicity, giving $147 in this example, an additional $0.47 beyond the exact tithe. This calculator clearly separates the exact tithe from any rounded or additional amount, so that rounding up is never confused with a larger mathematical tithe.
Should My Offering Stay Consistent?
Some believers give the same offering amount or percentage every time. Others vary their offering based on their season of life, a specific need they learn about, or a particular conviction at the time. Both approaches are consistent with 2 Corinthians 9:7, since the passage emphasizes a decision "in his heart," not a fixed formula.
Does This Calculator Determine Whether My Giving Is Tax-Deductible?
No. This calculator is a giving-planning tool, not a tax tool. Whether a gift is tax-deductible depends on factors this calculator does not evaluate, including whether the recipient organization qualifies under IRS rules, whether you itemize deductions, and current tax law. Keep your own giving records, including receipts or giving statements from your church or organization, and consult a qualified tax professional or the IRS for guidance on deductibility.
Should I Keep Records of My Giving?
Keeping a simple record of what you give, when, and to whom is a good practice regardless of tax considerations. It helps you stay consistent, helps you plan your giving alongside the rest of your finances, and gives you accurate documentation if you do plan to claim a deduction. This calculator's print and copy features can help you keep a running record of individual calculations.
Tithing Is Not the Same Thing as Budgeting
Tithing answers the question "how much of my income am I giving." Budgeting answers a much broader question: how all of your income is allocated across giving, saving, and spending. A simple way to think about the relationship is: Income leads to Giving, and Giving is stewarded alongside the rest of your Budget. This calculator focuses specifically on the giving step. If you want to build out the full picture, from your take-home pay, to your tithe and offering, to your monthly budget, to your emergency fund, our other calculators are built to work together for exactly that purpose.
What Should You Leave This Page Knowing?
- A tithe, as calculated here, is 10% of your net income, the amount that actually reaches you.
- Contractors and the self-employed can subtract a reasonable tax reserve, and optional business expenses, before their tithe is calculated.
- An offering is always voluntary. Nothing is added to your total giving unless you choose to add it.
- Firstfruits is a biblical priority principle, not a percentage this calculator invents for you.
- Malachi 3:10, Proverbs 3:9-10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, and Matthew 6:19-21 are included for their actual context, not as a formula for guaranteed financial return.
- This calculator does not determine whether your giving is tax-deductible. Keep your own records and consult a tax professional.