Sky News has learnt that Ross McEwan will announce his decision on Friday, despite support from boardroom colleagues and City investors for him to be paid competitively as he attempts to return RBS to profitability.
It will be the third year in a row that the New Zealander will have voluntarily forfeited part of his pay package.
In addition to his basic salary of £1m, Mr McEwan received a pension contribution last year worth several hundred thousand pounds as well as a long-term share award vesting in several years' time, although his total remuneration will again be substantially lower than his peers.
The donation of half of his £1m role-based allowance (RBA) to charity will be disclosed alongside annual results showing that RBS recorded an annual loss for the eighth consecutive year - a lamentable record for a company which was briefly the world's biggest bank.
At an underlying level, when restructuring charges are stripped out, the bank is expected to have made a profit in 2015.
"He has taken this decision because of the strong progress the bank has made, capital is up, costs are down and the bank is much stronger, simpler and centred in the UK, but he is clear there is still more work to do," said a source close to the bank.
The Treasury and UK Financial Investments, the agency which manages taxpayers' stake in RBS, have been briefed on Mr McEwan's decision.
RBS, which is 73%-owned by taxpayers, said last month that a combination of pension and mis-selling provisions, and money being set aside for forthcoming settlements with US regulators, meant it would take a further £2.5bn charge as part of its 2015 results.
Mr McEwan's transformation plan, which includes cutting thousands more jobs, involves refocusing RBS as a retail and corporate bank serving UK customers.
Its capital strength has been improved and costs have been cut, with many of its more capital-intensive international and investment banking operations being jettisoned.
Institutional investors in RBS said they were keen for Mr McEwan to be paid "competitively".
"He is doing a very effective job," said one.
"It's a long haul and we want him to see it through. He's not just doing the job out of the goodness of his heart."
Sources said on Thursday that a charitable trust would be set up into which half of Mr McEwan's RBA would be donated when it is released in ten tranches over a five-year period.
The money will be donated after tax has been paid, meaning at today's share price he would be making a donation worth £250,000.
The remaining 50% of Mr McEwan's £1m allowance will be held by him in the form of RBS shares.
RBAs were introduced by UK-based banks as a way of combating the European Union law which prevents lenders paying bonuses worth more than double the level of an employee's fixed pay.
The allowances are designated as fixed pay, although their structure has been challenged by the European Banking Authority.
Friday's results will also include confirmation that RBS has cut its bonus pool to the lowest level since its 2008 bailout, largely as a consequence of the shrinkage of its investment bank during the last seven years.
Last year, George Osborne, the Chancellor, sold 6% of RBS to City investors at a price which incurred a £1bn loss for taxpayers, and he has pledged to offload £25bn-worth of shares in the bank during this parliament.
The tenure of Mr McEwan's predecessor, Stephen Hester, was successful in laying the foundations for RBS's recovery, but was blighted by repeated conflicts over bonuses.
Mr Hester was eventually ousted by the Chancellor in 2013 and now runs RSA, the insurer.
RBS no longer pays annual bonuses to members of its executive committee in an effort to prevent remuneration rows overshadowing the bank's gradual turnaround.
RBS declined to comment on Thursday.
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