How much should I tithe? The biblical answer is 10%. But the practical answer requires walking through several variables: gross or net, before or after taxes, on inheritance and bonuses. While, in debt, in retirement. This guide answers every common question and gives you the exact framework to set your tithe number with confidence.
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The biblical default: 10% of your increase
Hebrew ma'aser and Greek dekatē both mean exactly "a tenth." 10% is the consistent biblical number. Israelite faithful actually gave around 23% across three tithes (Levitical, festival, poor); 10% is the most conservative possible reading. See our biblical tithing guide for the full survey.
Gross or net? — the most asked question
Most teachers recommend gross income.. Because Proverbs 3:9 ("honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits") means off-the-top, before any other allocation including taxes. The Hebrew rēšît ("first") leaves no room for prior deductions.
Net is defensible for believers in genuine financial hardship. It should be a temporary stage on the way to gross. See our tithe on gross or net deep-dive.
How to calculate your tithe
- Salaried (gross): Annual salary × 0.10 ÷ 52 = weekly tithe.
- Hourly: Hours × wage × 0.10 = period tithe.
- Self-employed: Tithe on net profit (after business expenses, before personal taxes) — most teachers' recommended approach.
- Variable income: Tithe on each deposit as it arrives, or true-up monthly.
Special situations
- Bonuses and commissions — yes, tithe. They are increase.
- Inheritance — yes; Abraham tithed war spoil (Genesis 14:20).
- Tax refund — only if you tithed on net (otherwise you already tithed on the gross).
- Social Security — most teachers say yes, if you didn't tithe on it when earned.
- Investment gains — yes, when realized (sold).
- Gifts and prizes — yes, increase.
- Reimbursements — no, not income.
- Loans — no, not income.
Tithing in difficult seasons
- While in debt — yes. The tithe is firstfruits, not leftover. See our tithing while in debt study.
- While unemployed — tithe on unemployment payments and any side income; pause on zero income.
- In retirement — tithe on Social Security, pension, withdrawals, and gains, generally yes.
- In hardship — Mark 12:41-44 (the widow's two mites) commends sacrificial giving in poverty more than comfortable giving in wealth.
Pressing above 10%
The tithe is the floor, not the ceiling. The Macedonian church gave "beyond their ability" (2 Corinthians 8:3). Many Christian families ladder upward 1% per year — 10% in year one, 11% in year two, 12% in year three. Over a decade, household giving rises from 10% to 20% with minimal lifestyle disruption.
Some Christian households set a "lifestyle finish line". They cap personal spending at a fixed amount and direct all income above it to giving. This is one of the most powerful biblical-financial practices in the modern church.
Where to send your tithe
Malachi 3:10's "storehouse" is most naturally the local church. The institution that "feeds the saints" with teaching, worship. Discipleship. Most teachers recommend tithing 10% to the local church first, then giving additional offerings above the tithe to missions, the poor. Other ministries.
How to actually start tithing this week
- Step 1: Run the Tithe Calculator to see your weekly amount.
- Step 2: Open your church's giving platform (Tithely, Pushpay, Givelify, or similar).
- Step 3: Set up a recurring weekly or monthly gift for the calculated amount.
- Step 4: Adjust your budget so the tithe is the first line, not the leftover.
- Step 5: Pray over the gift each week. Tithing is worship, not transaction.
Set the number tonight
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