‘Tis the season of giving, so why not get the most out of your giving, not just personally but financially as well? We’re sharing these five tips for charitable gifting to help you, the giver, maximize the benefits. 

Before we get into our helpful tips for charitable giving, let’s quickly state the obvious. Giving to others makes us feel good. But the benefits of giving can go well beyond feelings. In some instances, charitable gifts can actually reduce your taxable income. 

Plan your giving.

For starters, impactful giving takes planning. And knowing who to give to takes thought and research, including understanding which charities and donations qualify for tax deductions. First of all, you have to give to an IRS-approved charity—for nothing in return—to claim a tax deduction.

Enjoy a little tax relief.

In fact, there are many tax-planning opportunities with charitable donations that you can take advantage of for the largest deduction possible. In general, charitable contributions allow you to deduct up to 60 percent of your adjusted gross income. But, depending on the organization and the kind of contribution, you may only be allowed to donate 20 percent, 30 percent or 50 percent of your income.

No matter how many organizations you donate to, the limit applies to all of your donations made during the year.

Cash and household items can be tax-deductible. 

Remember to ask for a receipt or proof of your charitable donation. Typically, any cash donation of $250 or more needs written acknowledgement from the organization stating when the gift was given.

However, smaller donations can be verified with a copy of a bank statement or a receipt from the charity, for example. If you decide to make a charitable donation through a payroll deduction, be sure to keep your pay stub, a W-2 form or some other record from your employer showing the date and amount. 

While certain charities and organizations will accept gently used household items, including clothes, toys and furniture, the rules for non-cash donations are a little stricter. Again, be sure to talk to your accountant for more in-depth information about these guidelines. 

Check to see if volunteer expenses are tax-deductible. 

While volunteers can’t deduct the estimated value of their time or services, they can deduct certain costs of volunteering for an approved organization from their taxes. Examples of direct expenses that could be claimed include mileage. 

The miles you travel to volunteer opportunities and charitable events, as well as the mileage you use to transport goods to donation sites, can be deducted from your tax deduction contributions—just save the receipts. 

Pay attention to the deadline.

Your donation must have been made by the end of that specific tax year for it to be recognized as tax-deductible when you file. For instance, donations that you want to claim on your 2023 tax return, which must be filed by April 2024, must be made by December 31, 2023.

Summary

Last but not least, when it comes to tips for charitable gifting, work with a tax professional you can trust. To find out more about charitable gifts and tax breaks, contact us to schedule a free consultation. For more industry news and tax advice, keep reading our blogs.