The IRS offers the following facts when it comet to deducting charitable donations. If you gave money or goods to a charity in 2015, you may be able to claim a deduction on your federal tax return.
- Qualified Charities. You must donate to a qualified charity. Gifts to individuals, political organizations or candidates are not deductible.
- Itemize Deductions. To deduct your contributions, you must file Form 1040 and itemize deductions. File Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, with your federal tax return.
- Benefit in Return. If you get something in return for your donation, you may have to reduce your deduction. You can only deduct the amount of your gift that is more than the value of what you got in return.
- Type of Donation. If you give property instead of cash, your deduction amount is normally limited to the item’s fair market value. Fair market value is generally the price you would get if you sold the property on the open market. If you donate used clothing and household items, they generally must be in good condition, or better, to be deductible. Special rules apply to cars, boats and other types of property donations.
- Form to File and Records to Keep. File Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, for all noncash gifts totaling more than $500 for the year. The type of records you must keep depends on the amount and type of your donation.
- Donations of $250 or More. If you donated cash or goods of $250 or more, you must have a written statement from the charity. It must show the amount of the donation and a description of any property given. It must also say whether you received any goods or services in exchange for the gift.
Let us know if you have questions on whether or not your donation qualifies.
