How can you donate Alphabet stock to charity?
By Vaibhav Goel, registered financial advisor (SEC record) · Formerly a product director at DoorDash, ex-Google, ex-Microsoft · LinkedIn
Updated September 17, 2026
For shares you have owned more than a year that are worth more than you paid, giving the stock usually beats selling it and donating the cash: you do not realize the gain, and the deduction is based on fair market value. Shares held under a year, or at a loss, change the math.
Give shares or give cash
The deduction for appreciated stock is based on fair market value, within the limits IRS Publications 526 and 561 set out.[16][17] The comparison below assumes shares held over a year, worth more than you paid, given to an eligible charity. Shares held under a year, or sitting at a loss, change the math — a loss is generally worth more realized than given away. Check the acquisition date and basis of the specific lot before you transfer it.
| Give the shares | Sell, then give cash | |
|---|---|---|
| Capital gain | None realized. The gain leaves with the shares. | Realized, and taxed on the sale. |
| Deduction | Fair market value on the date of the gift, for shares held over a year. | The cash amount, which is the proceeds after tax. |
| What the charity receives | The full value of the shares. | What was left after the tax on the sale. |
| Timing | A transfer between brokers, plus the recipient’s processing time. Start early in the window. | Trade, settlement, then the gift. |
| Trading window | A gift is a transfer under Alphabet’s policy: blocked in a closed window unless made through the Employee Trading Plan program. | A sale, with the same window rule. |
| Google match | Ask whether stock and donor-advised-fund gifts qualify for the matching gift program the proxy lists, and note the deadline. | Cash gifts are the simplest case for a match. |
- Give the shares
- None realized. The gain leaves with the shares.
- Sell, then give cash
- Realized, and taxed on the sale.
- Give the shares
- Fair market value on the date of the gift, for shares held over a year.
- Sell, then give cash
- The cash amount, which is the proceeds after tax.
- Give the shares
- The full value of the shares.
- Sell, then give cash
- What was left after the tax on the sale.
- Give the shares
- A transfer between brokers, plus the recipient’s processing time. Start early in the window.
- Sell, then give cash
- Trade, settlement, then the gift.
- Give the shares
- A gift is a transfer under Alphabet’s policy: blocked in a closed window unless made through the Employee Trading Plan program.
- Sell, then give cash
- A sale, with the same window rule.
- Give the shares
- Ask whether stock and donor-advised-fund gifts qualify for the matching gift program the proxy lists, and note the deadline.
- Sell, then give cash
- Cash gifts are the simplest case for a match.
Deduction rules from IRS Publications 526 and 561; the window rule and the Employee Trading Plan from Alphabet’s filed policy; the matching gift program from the 2026 proxy. Only vested shares can be given: GSUs are not transferable before they vest, and what vests is Class C stock.[16][17][11][31][10][2]
New for 2026: itemizers can deduct charitable contributions only to the extent they exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income, and a separate overall limitation applies to higher-income taxpayers. Both belong in the calculation for a 2026 gift.[19]
Sources for this section
- Alphabet: 2025 Form 10-K [2]
- Alphabet: form of restricted stock unit agreement [10]
- Alphabet: policy against insider trading [11]
- IRS Publication 526: charitable contributions [16]
- IRS Publication 561: donated property [17]
- IRS Publication 505 (2026): withholding and estimated tax [19]
- Alphabet: 2026 proxy statement [31]
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Vaibhav Goel
Co-founder of Simple Money · Registered financial advisor · SEC record
Investment adviser representative, registered with the State of California.
Vaibhav spent fifteen years building products at Google, DoorDash and Microsoft before becoming a licensed advisor. He works with people in tech on the whole picture, equity, taxes, investments and cash flow, as one plan rather than four.
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