To help taxpayers plan their holiday-season and year-end giving, the IRS offers the following additional reminders:
- Contributions are deductible in the year made. Thus, donations charged to a credit card before the end of 2025 count for 2025. This is true even if the credit card bill isn’t paid until 2026. Also, checks count for 2025 as long as they are mailed in 2025.
- Check that the organization is qualified. Only donations to qualified organizations are tax-deductible. There is a searchable online database available on IRS.gov, lists most organizations that are qualified to receive deductible contributions. In addition, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and government agencies are eligible to receive deductible donations, even if they are not listed in the database.
- For all donations of property, including clothing and household items, get from the charity, if possible, a receipt that includes the name of the charity, date of the contribution, and a reasonably-detailed description of the donated property. If a donation is left at a charity’s unattended drop site, keep a written record of the donation that includes this information, as well as the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation and the method used to determine that value. Additional rules apply for a contribution of $250 or more.
- The deduction for a motor vehicle, boat or airplane donated to charity is usually limited to the gross proceeds from its sale. This rule applies if the claimed value is more than $500.
- And, as always it’s important to keep good records and receipts.
CLICK BELOW FOR DEDUCTIBLE AMOUNTS:
Non cash Charitable Contribution Worksheet