Charitable Contributons
Did you make a cash contribution to your favorite charity? Have you recently spent a weekend cleaning stuff out of your garage or basement that you then donated to a local charity?
Charitable contributions can be tax deductible, but you must have the proper records to support your deduction.
To deduct a charitable cash donation, regardless of the amount, you must have a bank record or a written communication from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Acceptable bank records would include canceled checks or bank or credit union statements containing the name of the charity, the date and the amount of the contribution.
Under the previous rules, records such as personal bank registers, diaries or notes made around the time of the donation could often be used as evidence of cash donations. Personal records like this are no longer sufficient.
Here are some additional tips to help you deduct your charitable contributions on your federal tax return.
- Charitable contributions are deductible only if you itemize deductions using Form 1040.
- Contributions must be made to a qualified organization.
- Used clothing and household items such as furniture, linens and appliances must be in good used condition.
- Vehicle donations are subject to special rules.
- To deduct charitable contributions of items valued at $250 or more you must have a written acknowledgment from the qualified organization.
- To deduct charitable contributions of items valued at $500 or more you must complete a Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, and attached the form to your return
by 
Erich J. Ruth
Erich J. Ruth provides technical support for National Software which is the parent company for 1099FIRE. 1099FIRE develops and markets a comprehensive range of products that enables any size of business or institution to effectively manage and comply with year-end filing requirements. 1099FIRE is an employee-owned company located in Phoenix, Arizona.
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