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Are Charitable Contributions Tax Deductible?: A Guide To Making Donations

Donating to a charity, non-profit or other organization is a way to contribute to a cause you support. It's also a way to receive tax deduction savings, because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows taxpayers to deduct charitable donations from their taxes. There is a wide range of different kinds of charities and organizations you can donate to, but not all of them qualify for tax deductions. Instead, charities or organizations need to receive approval from the IRS. If your favorite charity has IRS approval, you have the green light to donate and claim a tax-saving write-off. It can be confusing to navigate the tax world when it comes to charitable contributions. Essentially, you can take full advantage of some tax write-offs for your donations, regardless of the amount you donate. Reading this guide will help you understand everything you need to know about charitable contributions as tax deductions, what counts as a charitable contribution and how to use your charitable contribution for tax write-off savings.

Table of contents

What are charitable donations?...Read more

Are charitable donations tax deductible?...Read more

How does charitable giving affect taxes?...Read more

Charitable contributions 2021 tax year...Read more

Are church donations tax deductible?...Read more

Non-qualified organizations or donations...Read more

How much can you claim in tax deductions without receipts?...Read more

What are charitable donations?

Charitable donations are gifts given to a charity, non-profit or organization to help achieve a goal. You can donate money or items like furniture, electronics or a car. You may qualify for a tax deduction as long as you don’t benefit financially or otherwise from the donation. So, if you receive a gift or recognition for your contribution, you may not be eligible to claim it as a tax deduction.

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Itemized Deductions

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How to save on taxes when donating to a charity or non-profit.

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Food and Entertainment Deduction

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Education Tax Credit

All about the tax benefits available to college students and their parents.

Itemized Deductions

The most important tax credits self-employed and freelancers.

Charitable Contribution

How to save on taxes when donating to a charity or non-profit.

Home Office Deduction

How the home office deduction saves self-employed people and freelancers on their taxes.

Are charitable donations tax deductible?

Charitable donations are tax deductible if they meet the IRS' criteria. The charity, organization or non-profit needs to have 501(c)3 status from the IRS and are exempt from federal income tax. It’s best to confirm if the charity or organization has 501(c)3 status before donating. Organizations may list the status on their website, but it might be best to confirm their status by calling or emailing. On the IRS website, you can also use the Tax Exempt Organization Search tool to confirm if a charity or organization is eligible for a donation tax deduction. Organizations with 501(c)3 status are typically charitable organizations, churches or religious organizations or private foundations. Charitable contributions can include both cash and goods. For example, donating furniture, clothes or other household items to a qualifying organization like Goodwill or the Salvation Army qualifies as a tax deduction.

How does charitable giving affect taxes?

Charitable donations can help reduce both your tax bill and taxable income, all while contributing to a worthy cause. Whether you decide to itemize your donations or take a standard deduction, both can score tax savings. Let’s say you decide to donate to a qualified charity. After receiving the gift, the charity gives you a receipt for your donation. Using this receipt, you can either deduct the charitable contributions as itemized deductions on Schedule A, Form 1040 or take a standard deduction. Both qualify as a deduction. But any deduction you take for a charitable donation you've made has to be less than 60% of your annual gross income, though the IRS made an exception to this for 2021 taxes.

Quick tip

You may be able to deduct more from your taxes for charitable donations by donating more than one type of asset, for example cash and stocks.

Charitable contributions 2021 tax year

The IRS made some changes for the 2021 tax filing year regarding charitable contributions. Typically, itemizing your charitable donations as tax deductions can bring additional tax savings, but it can be difficult to itemize smaller donations. If you decide to choose the standard tax deduction route instead, you won’t get any extra savings. In 2021, single tax filers can deduct up to $300 as a standard deduction and married couples that file a joint return can deduct up to $600. That means you can deduct your charitable donations, even if you’re unable to itemize them. You don’t have to donate the full $300 to count as a tax write-off. You can claim even a $10 or $20 charitable contribution, as long as it’s below the charitable contributions tax deduction limit of either $300 or $600. The good news is your charitable donation does not qualify as an above-the-line write-off, meaning your donation won’t impact your annual gross income. If you decide to itemize your donations, you can claim the deductions up to 100% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).

Are church donations tax deductible?

The IRS uses the term church to refer to any religious place of worship. Therefore, Christian churches, mosques and temples fall under the church category for tax purposes. Not every place of worship qualifies for the IRS church distinction. To receive an IRS qualification, the place of worship must have::

Religious history
Its own literature, creed or doctrine
A set worship location
Elected leaders that lead the service

The IRS will decide whether the church qualifies for tax write-offs. Typically, your donation will be eligible for the tax deduction if your place of worship operates solely for religious and educational purposes. So whether you’re tithing or giving a one-time donation, both instances would qualify for a tax write-off. With the changes for 2021 tax filing, there is no need to itemize your church donations on Schedule A. Instead, you can deduct up to $300 as a standard deduction as a single filer. Be sure to save your check stubs or receipts when donating to a place of worship.

Non-qualified organizations or donations

It can be tempting to assume that you will get a guaranteed tax write-off every time you contribute to a charity or organization. But nothing seems straightforward when it comes to the IRS and it’s good to be aware of the tax-deduction exceptions. As a result, you may not qualify for a write-off for the charitable contributions you make. Let’s look at some examples of those instances.

Future contributions

Donations to a non-qualified organization

Political campaigns

Donations without proof

Donations made in another tax year

Benefiting from your donation

Fundraising events

How much can you claim in tax deductions without receipts?

The IRS requires proof for all charitable contributions. Proof can include a bank record, such as a canceled check or a receipt from the organization. The receipt should include the organization’s name, contribution date and the amount. Without proof, you can only include cash donations less than $250, and you need to provide your bank record or record of the payroll deduction. You will need a receipt for any donation of more than $250 or a donation other than cash.

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