Updated October 29, 2026. Quick answer: Worksheet 2-5 in Publication 505 (2026) applies the new 2026 floor to itemized charitable gifts: you can deduct only the amount that is more than 0.5% of your adjusted gross income. You add cash and other gifts, subtract 0.5% of AGI, and carry the result to Worksheet 2-6 before it reaches line 2a of the estimated tax worksheet.
What this worksheet is for
The worksheet opens with the rule: “Caution: For 2026, if you plan to take an itemized deduction for a charitable contribution, you can only deduct charitable contributions that are more than 0.5% of your AGI.” The What’s New section adds “Any amount that falls under the 0.5% floor can’t be deducted in 2026.” and “This limitation is in addition to the overall limit on itemized deductions.” That second limit is on Worksheet 2-6.
The seven lines
| Line | What it asks |
|---|---|
| 1 | “Enter the amount of your estimated charitable contributions by cash or check” |
| 2 | “Enter the amount of your estimated charitable contributions other than by cash or check” |
| 3 | “Add lines 1 and 2” |
| 4 | “Enter the amount from line 1 of the 2026 Estimated Tax Worksheet (Worksheet 2-1)” |
| 5 | “Multiply line 4 by 0.5% (0.005)” |
| 6 | “Subtract line 5 from line 3” |
| 7 | “Enter the amount from line 6 here and on line 1 of your 2026 Overall Limitation on Itemized Deductions Worksheet (Worksheet 2-6)” |
The worksheet does not say what to enter on line 6 when gifts are smaller than the floor. The What’s New text, quoted above, says the amount under the floor cannot be deducted.
If you do not itemize
Non-itemizers have a separate deduction in 2026. The publication says “Beginning in 2026, you can claim a deduction for cash contributions made to eligible tax-exempt organizations.” and “The maximum deduction is $1,000 ($2,000 for married filing jointly) with certain other limitations.” On the estimated tax worksheet that amount rides on line 2a with the standard deduction, as the caution there says, so Worksheet 2-5 is for itemizers only. The non-itemizer rule has its own page, charitable deduction for non-itemizers.
An example with invented numbers
Illustration, not an IRS example. An itemizer expects $6,000 in cash gifts and $1,000 in other gifts with adjusted gross income of $90,000.
| Line | Entry | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Estimated cash or check gifts (invented) | $6,000 |
| 2 | Estimated gifts other than cash or check (invented) | $1,000 |
| 3 | Line 1 plus line 2 (computed) | $7,000 (computed) |
| 4 | Adjusted gross income from Worksheet 2-1, line 1 (invented) | $90,000 |
| 5 | Line 4 times 0.005 (computed) | $450 (computed) |
| 6 | Line 3 minus line 5 (computed) | $6,550 (computed) |
| 7 | Carried to Worksheet 2-6, line 1 | $6,550 |
The floor is $450 and so $6,550 of the $7,000 survives and moves to Worksheet 2-6.
Edition
This page reads Publication 505 (2026), Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, “For use in 2026”, the file irs.gov served on 2026-10-29 (sha256 in the kit data). Worksheet numbers and line numbers belong to that edition, so check the number printed on the worksheet in your own copy before you follow a line reference.
Common mistakes
- Using last year’s rule. Before 2026 the floor did not exist; the publication says it begins in 2026.
- Using taxable income instead of AGI on line 4. The line takes the AGI from the estimated tax worksheet.
- Using this worksheet when you take the standard deduction. Non-itemizers use the separate 2026 deduction.
- Forgetting the second limit. The overall itemized deduction limit applies after this floor.
Related: the 2026 charitable deduction 0.5% floor, Schedule A line 11, the charitable contribution limits worksheet, and the Form 1040-ES estimated tax worksheet.
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Answer againSources
- Publication 505 (2026), Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p505.pdf
- 2026 Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals (with instructions): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf
Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 29, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.