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If you’re debating whether or not to donate to charity, it’s important to understand the tax benefits and tax-saving opportunities that could be available to you. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know when understanding what you could qualify for when it comes to charitable donations.
Some donations may not be eligible for deductions. In order to make a donation, it must be to a charity with a tax-exempt status determined by the IRS. This means that charitable donations cannot be made to friends, relatives, or groups that do not fall under the tax exempt status. The list of approved organizations are the following:
- A community chest, corporation, trust, fund, or foundation, organized or created in the United States or its possessions, or under the laws of the United States, any state, the District of Columbia or any possession of the United States, and organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
- A church, synagogue, or other religious organization.
- A war veterans’ organization or its post, auxiliary, trust, or foundation organized in the United States or its possessions.
- A nonprofit volunteer fire company.
- A civil defense organization created under federal, state, or local law (this includes unreimbursed expenses of civil defense volunteers that are directly connected with and solely attributable to their volunteer services).
- A domestic fraternal society, operating under the lodge system, but only if the contribution is to be used exclusively for charitable purposes.
- A nonprofit cemetery company if the funds are irrevocably dedicated to the perpetual care of the cemetery as a whole and not a particular lot or mausoleum crypt.
Some contributions may lead to only a partial credit. For particular donations, a taxpayer will only receive a portion of a credit. For example, if you purchase a shirt that is a part of a charitable cause, the entire price of the shirt is not deductible. The fair market value must be determined and subtracted from the cost of your purchase in order to determine the amount of your donation.
When determining how much of a charitable donation you would like to make, it is important to know there is a limit on all donations you make throughout the tax year. Total charitable contributions are generally limited to no more than 50% of your adjusted gross income.
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