Charitable Contributions Under the Magnifying Glass

Uncle Sam Arm holding Magnifying GlassOrganizations That Qualify To Receive Deductible Contributions

Many of us have our favorite charities that we know and have contributed to in the past.  However, not every charitable contribution is deductible – specifically – those contributions made to individuals.

Please refer to the IRS Publication 526 to get filing guidelines for tax year 2013.  They cover just about everything and include: Organizations That Qualify To Receive Deductible Contributions, Contributions You Can Deduct, Contributions You Cannot Deduct, Contributions of Property, When To Deduct, Limits on Deductions, Records To Keep, and How To Report.

A few posts back we discussed charitable contributions in Part I and Part II on Substantiating Tax Deductions for Charitable Contributions.  According to the IRS, for 2013, you may have to reduce the total amount of certain itemized deductions, including charitable contributions, if your adjusted gross income is more than:

  • $150,000 if married filing separately,
  • $250,000 if single,
  • $275,000 if head of household, or
  • $300,000 if married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er).

They also discuss Disaster relief.

“You can deduct contributions for flood relief, hurricane relief, or other disaster relief to a qualified organization (defined under Contributions) Organizations That Qualify To Receive Deductible . However, you cannot deduct contributions earmarked for relief of a particular individual or family.”

How to check whether an organization can receive deductible charitable contributions. You can ask any organization whether it is a qualified organization, and most will be able to tell you. Or go to IRS.gov. Click on “Tools” and then on “Exempt Organizations Select Check”  (www.irs.gov/Charities&NonProfits/ExemptOrganizationsSelectCheck).

This online tool will enable you to search for qualified organizations. You can also call the IRS to find out if an organization is qualified. Call 1-877-829-5500. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and who have access to TTY/TDD equipment can call 1-800-829-4059. Deaf or hard of hearing individuals can also contact the IRS through relay services such as the Federal Relay Service at www.gsa.gov/fedrelay.

The IRS has a tool that you can use to check charitable organizations.  http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Exempt-Organizations-Select-Check

 

Pat Michael and his team at US-TaxLaws is your best source for professional tax preparation services with more than 30 years experience and thousands of satisfied clients.

Personal Tax Preparation   Business Tax Preparation   Partnership Tax Preparation Corporate Tax Preparation  Incorporation-Choice of Entity   Business Support Services Corporate Compliance   Audit Representation  Retirement Tax Planning   Wills & Trusts Estate Planning   Bookkeeping   Payroll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://us-taxlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IRS-Publicatim-526-Charitable-Contributions.pdf