Catholic Tithing Calculator
Calculate your Catholic tithe — whether you follow the 5%/5% guideline (5% to parish, 5% to Catholic charities) or a full 10%. Use the calculator below as a starting point.
Calculate Your Tithe
Your Tithe
10% of gross income
Enter your income to calculate your tithe
Catholic tithing — what the Church teaches
Catholic teaching does not impose a strict 10% tithe. Instead, the Church calls for proportional, sacrificial giving— give according to your means and to support the work of the Church and the poor. In practice, many US dioceses teach the “5/5 model”: 5% to your parish and 5% to broader Catholic causes.
The 5/5 split in practice
On a $60,000 annual gross income, the 5/5 split looks like:
- Parish gift: $3,000/year — $250/month, supporting your local Catholic parish
- Charity gift: $3,000/year — $250/month, distributed across Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities, your diocese, religious orders, or other Catholic missions
Use the calculator above to compute your full 10%, then split it 5/5 — or follow whatever proportion you've discerned in prayer with your priest. Setting up recurring online giving with your parish makes the parish portion automatic.
Frequently asked questions
Do Catholics tithe 10%?
The Catholic Church does not require a fixed 10% tithe the way some Protestant traditions do. Catholic teaching emphasizes proportional, sacrificial giving according to one's means. Many Catholic dioceses suggest a 5% gift to your parish and 5% to other Catholic charities (the '5/5 split'); others encourage a full 10% tithe. Both are widely practiced.
What is the Catholic 5/5 tithing model?
The 5/5 model is a guideline taught in many US Catholic dioceses: 5% of income to your parish (supporting your local church) and 5% to other Catholic charities (Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities, your diocese, religious orders, etc.). The total is 10%, but it's split intentionally between local and broader Catholic missions.
Should Catholics tithe on gross or net income?
There is no official Catholic teaching on gross vs. net. The Church teaches sacrificial proportional giving — give what you can give faithfully and sustainably. Many Catholics tithe on net income (take-home pay) since taxes were never received. Others tithe on gross. Both are accepted; the heart and consistency of giving matter more than the base.
How is Catholic tithing different from Protestant tithing?
Most Protestant traditions teach a literal 10% tithe to the local church based on Old Testament mandate. Catholic teaching is more flexible: proportional giving from love rather than law, often split between parish and broader Catholic causes. The dollar amounts can be similar — the framing is different.