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Year End Charity Giving Tips from the IRS

In Accounting & Finances,Business,Family,Taxes on January 16, 2013 by Sufen Wang Tagged: Charitable organization, Donation, Internal Revenue Service, IRS tax forms, Itemized deduction, Salvation Army, Standard deduction, Tax deduction

Happy New Year! But Wait!

Do not close the book just yet on year 2012…

Year 2012 is past us and hopefully you rang in the new year with a bang. Although the party is over, you can ensure you get more bang for every buck or item you donated in 2012 by reviewing these tips about year-end charity donations.

Contributions are tax deductible in the year made. As long as the donation was submitted before the end of 2012, it can be deducted for 2012 – even the check hasn’t been cashed or the credit card bill paid yet. However, take my word for it, the IRS won’t just take your word for charitable acts. To deduct monetary donations, you must have a bank record or written document from the charity with the name of the charity, the contribution amount, and the date.

Also be aware that deductible donations must be made to “qualified” organizations. Only churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, government agencies, and anything on the Exempt Organizations Select Check have the IRS’ seal of approval. So although you might have splurged on gifts for yourself, you still don’t count as a qualified organization – no matter how often you call yourself a charity case.

Maybe you couldn’t spare some change and instead donated clothing or household items to a charity. In general, those items must have been in good used condition or better in order to be deductible. That means the bag of ratty old pajamas you left at the Salvation Army drop site probably can’t be deducted. And if you can’t get a receipt, at least keep a detailed written record of every donation.

Remember that individuals can only claim deductions for charitable contributions if they itemize their deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A. That form will help you figure out whether itemizing is better than using a short form (Form 1040A and 1040EZ) to claim the standard deduction. Basically, you’ll have a tax savings only if the total itemized deductions (mortgage interest, charitable contributions, state and local taxes, etc.) exceed the standard deduction. Of course, whether or not you end up deducting your donations, giving is something you should do year-round.