Calculating your tithe is simple math: multiply your income by 0.10. The harder part is figuring out what to multiply by, especially if you get paid in irregular ways. This page walks through every common scenario, with examples.
If you just want the number right now, use the Tithe Calculator on the homepage. Enter your paycheck and pay frequency, and you have your answer in two seconds.
If you want to understand what you are doing and why, read on.
The tithe is the first ten percent of your income. The formula is the same regardless of how you get paid:
Tithe = income × 0.10
That is it. There is no hidden multiplier, no special church rate, no denominational adjustment. A tenth is a tenth.
The questions worth thinking about are:
This is the biggest decision and the most-asked question.
Gross is what you earned before taxes and deductions. Net is what hits your bank account.
The biblical model is firstfruits, which points to gross. Most pastors recommend gross. Some believers tithe on net, especially when they are starting out.
For the full case, see Gross vs Net Tithing.
For purposes of this page: pick one, be consistent, and aim for gross over time.
Pay frequency is just how often the money shows up. Common patterns:
Biweekly and semi-monthly are not the same thing. Biweekly gives you 26 paychecks. Semi-monthly gives you 24. Two months a year, biweekly employees get three paychecks. That is real money, and tithing on the third paycheck is the same as tithing on the first.
Take the amount you are tithing on and multiply by 0.10. Move the decimal one place to the left, and you have it.
A few worked examples.
Weekly, $1,250 gross paycheck:
Biweekly, $2,500 gross paycheck:
Semi-monthly, $2,708 gross paycheck:
Monthly, $5,417 gross paycheck:
Annually, $65,000 salary:
Notice these all land around the same annual number. They should. The pay schedule changes the rhythm. It does not change the tithe.
If math is not your love language, that is what the calculator is for. Enter the paycheck, pick the frequency, get the number.
The hardest part of tithing is not the math. It is the consistency.
Almost every church now accepts online giving. Most let you set up recurring transfers. Here is the order I recommend:
If you would rather give a paper check on Sunday, that works too. Just be honest with yourself about whether you actually do it.
The cleanest case is a W-2 paycheck. Gross income is on the stub. Multiply, done.
A few other scenarios.
Salaried with bonuses. Tithe on the bonus when it comes. Bonuses are part of your gross income for the year.
Commission, tips, and irregular pay. Tithe on what shows up. Some people prefer to total it monthly and tithe at month’s end.
Self-employed. Tithe on income, not on revenue. Income is what is left after legitimate business expenses but before personal taxes. Many self-employed Christians tithe monthly or quarterly when they reconcile their books.
Tax refunds. Most pastors say no, because you already tithed on that money when you earned it. The refund is your money coming back, not new income. See Should I Tithe on My Tax Return?.
Investment gains. Tithe on realized gains, not on the entire portfolio balance. If you sold stock and made $3,000 in profit, tithe on $3,000.
Inheritance. This one varies. Many treat large inheritances as a one-time gain and tithe on the full amount. Others tithe on the income generated from the inheritance going forward. Pray and decide.
Gifts. A gift from another person is generally not income (the giver already tithed on it). A gift from a company or as compensation typically is.
Government benefits, scholarships, grants. Most Christians do not tithe on benefits like unemployment or food assistance, because they are designed to cover a specific shortfall. Scholarships and education grants are generally not tithed on either. Income earned from a paid scholarship work program would be.
These are guidelines, not commandments. The biblical principle is firstfruits on what you earn. Apply it honestly.
Two-income households. Total both spouses’ gross income for the period, multiply by 0.10. Or each spouse can tithe on their own paycheck. Either works; pick whatever is simpler for your household to manage.
Pay schedule changes. If your job switches from biweekly to semi-monthly, just adjust the recurring giving to match. The annual tithe is still ten percent of annual income.
Debt. Tithe anyway. The tithe is the first ten percent, not the spare ten percent. See Should You Tithe While in Debt? for the longer answer.
Tight months. Tithe anyway. The point of tithing is trust. Tight months are exactly when the trust muscle gets used.
Lump-sum payments (severance, retirement payouts). Tithe on the full lump sum.
The Tithe Calculator on this site is free, requires no signup, and works on any device. Enter your paycheck and frequency. The calculator does the multiplication and shows your tithe instantly. Use it before payday to plan ahead. Use it after to confirm the number.
If you are looking for a way to automate giving and tracking, your church’s giving platform is usually the right tool. Most major church-management systems (Tithe.ly, Pushpay, Subsplash, Realm, etc.) offer recurring giving with email receipts you can use at tax time.
The math is not the hard part. The hard part is what tithing represents.
Every time you click “give,” you are saying, with your bank account, that God comes first. Not first after the bills. Not first after the savings. First. Period.
That order matters more than the math. But the math is also worth getting right, which is why pages like this exist.
Open the calculator. Get your number. Set up the recurring gift. Then live the rest of the month on ninety percent and watch what God does.
The tithe is a tenth. Calculate it honestly. Give it consistently. Trust God with the rest.