Child And Dependent Care Credit
If you care for a child or another dependent in your household, you may be able to receive up to 50% back as a tax break or refund for your child care-related expenses in 2021. The amount you can claim maxes out at $8,000 for one dependent and $16,000 for two or more. To qualify, you’ll need to provide proof of your expenses come tax time.
Is It A Qualified Charity
If you’re making a last-minute donation, you want to be certain that the charity youre considering is a qualified charity so that you can receive a tax break.
“Taxpayers often try to claim deductions for contributions to organizations that are not qualified charities, such as political candidates or lobbying organizations,” Luscombe said.
Giving to someone’s personal GoFundMe effort isn’t usually going to cut it.
Yet donations made to GoFundMe certified charity fundraisers are tax-deductible and will receive tax receipts automatically from the charity partner, PayPal Giving Fund, according to a spokesperson for GoFundMe.
The giving platform has specific GoFundMe Cause programs, including Justice & Equality, Pride, Mental Health and Basic Necessities.
Keep your paperwork to back up your deduction and do your homework upfront.
Every year there are court cases where the IRS has denied an individuals charitable contributions due to lack of required documentation, improper valuation, or lack of an appraisal, if needed,” Allen said.
Be cautious about just handing over money to any request during this giving season.
“There are, unfortunately, a lot of scammers who are looking for ‘donations’ this time of year,” Steber warned.
The IRS offers an online search tool for finding out about an organization’s tax-exempt status at IRS.gov.
You Can Claim Refundable Tax Credits
Refundable tax credits are particularly valuable for low-income taxpayers because they can provide a refund beyond what you paid for the year via withholding or estimated tax payments.
In other words, if its worth more than the tax you owe, the IRS will issue you a refund for the difference. Refundable credits include:
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Donating Cash To A Church
The IRS has various record-keeping and documentation requirements, depending on the amount of cash you donate to a church. Whenever you make a cash donation to your church, you must retain either a receipt, canceled check or a bank or credit card statement. It’s not necessary for you to send these to the IRS, but if the agency ever contacts you for proof of your donations, you are required to have the documentation.
However, if any single donation is greater than $250, you must also obtain a written acknowledgment from the church. This acknowledgment should include the donation amount, a description of any goods or services provided to you in exchange for your donation and a statement that the remaining benefit you receive is an intangible religious one. If you do receive goods or services in the exchange, you must reduce your deduction by their value.
You Must Have Owned The Artwork For More Than One Year
Artwork must be considered long-term capital property to qualify for a tax deduction. So don’t purchase a work of art with the intention of donating it so you can take a deduction that same year. In order to claim a work’s current fair-market value as the value of the charitable deduction, you must have held the property for longer than one year.
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Four Simple Categories For A Car Donation:
A tax write-off for a car donation is a way that you can a benefit from the non-cash charitable donation of a motor vehicle.
According to the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 there are specific documents and record keeping required when donating non-cash items. Here is a chart to help you with the filing of your car donation tax write off:
Image Source: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4303.pdf
You Can Start The Clock On The Statute Of Limitations
The IRS generally has three years from the date you filed to audit your tax returnsix years if your return includes a substantial understatement of income. But if you dont file a tax return, the clock on that statute of limitations never starts running. In effect, the IRS could come after you in a decade or more and claim that you should have filed a return.
If youre worried about an IRS audit, you may want to file a tax return even if you didnt earn enough to trigger a filing requirement.
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Get Paperwork To Back Up The Deduction
And you want proof.
A canceled check is sufficient to support a charitable donation, Luscombe said. If you hand over actual cash, you need a written letter from the charity to confirm the contribution.
If you give $250 or more at once to a group, you need written communication to state whether the donor received something of value in return.
Types Of Charitable Contributions That Are Deductible
- Donations to religious organizations
- Donations to for-profit schools or hospitals
- Donations to social and sports clubs
- Donations to labor unions
- Donations to homeowners associations
Different types of charitable donations have their own set of tax rules. Luckily, the IRS provides a comprehensive guide on charitable contributionsto help you navigate any uncharted tax territory.
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How Do You Calculate Your Charitable Donation Tax Credit
To calculate your charitable donation tax credit, you first need to figure out the eligible amount of your charitable donations. Once you know that amount, you need to decide how much you want to claim. In any one tax year, you can claim:
- donations you made by December 31 of that year
- any unclaimed donations you made in the previous five years
- any unclaimed donations your spouse or common-law partner made during the year or in the last five years
You can claim eligible amounts of gifts to a limit of 75% of your net income. For gifts of certified cultural property or ecologically sensitive land, you may be able to claim up to 100% of your net income. For more information go to: Pamphlet P113 Gifts and Income Tax.
For a quick estimate of your charitable donation tax credit for the current tax year, use the charitable donation tax credit calculator.
Tax Reform Giveth And Tax Reform Taketh Away
Did you see an increase in your paycheck in early 2018 following the December 2017 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act? If tax reform bumped you into a lower tax bracket, your take-home pay may have increased.
But tax reform also increased the standard deduction, which could lower your incentive to itemize your deductions including for charitable donations. Charities may already be feeling the pinch, according to a report by the Association for Fund Raising Professionals.
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Can I Deduct Donations Made Last Year
No, youre only allowed to deduct donations made in the year of your tax return, except if you had a charitable carryover. If you itemize deductions, then your donations to qualified charities and non-profit organizations can be deducted in the year they were made.
For example, donations to Goodwill on January 2, 2021, and the Red Cross on December 31, 2021, would be deducted on your 2021 tax return. Learn more about deducting donations here.
You can amend up to the last three tax years to add contributions you made in previous years, but were missed when you filed. Learn more about amending your tax return here.
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Consider Working With A Tax Professional
Tax laws can change on a yearly basis and everyones situation is different, so we recommend working with a tax professional before following any of the advice outlined in this guide. A tax professional will ensure youre adhering to tax laws, and theyll be able to help you maximize charity tax deductions.
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Medical And Dental Expenses
Even with insurance, you might have to pay for medical expenses out of pocket. You can deduct these expenses for you, your spouse or any of your dependents, as long as the total amount exceeds 7.5% of your AGI. Possible expenses include:
- Fees to doctors, dentists, specialists, mental health professionals and even nontraditional medical practitioners
- Hospital care, residential nursing home care and acupuncture treatments
- Treatment for alcohol, drug addiction, smoking-cessation programs and prescription drugs for nicotine withdrawal and related addiction needs
- Payments for insulin, eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, crutches, wheelchairs, guide dogs and other service animals
Funeral expenses, over-the-counter medications and most cosmetic surgery can’t be deducted.
Limits For Charitable Tax Deductions
There are no limits on the amount of charitable contributions you can deduct in 2020 or 2021, because the limits were lifted during the coronavirus pandemic. In previous years, you could only claim deductions in a given year for charitable gifts worth up to 50% of your adjusted gross income . If you have any deductions you canât claim because in a year, you can carry over excess donations for up to five years.
For example, letâs say your AGI for the year is $50,000 and you donated $70,000 of eligible donations. Normally, you can only claim $25,000 in deductions for the first year since thatâs 50% of your AGI, but you could claim another $25,000 next year and then the final $10,000 the year after.
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Q: Some Charities Offer Vacation Packages As Incentives To Donate Does That Affect My Tax Deduction
A:YES! If a charity provides a commodity, like a vacation package, for example, in exchange for a car or vehicle donation, then the tax receipt from that charity must state the fair market value of that commodity and the fair market value of that commodity must be subtracted from the value of the car donation.
For example: If your vehicle sells for $1,000.00 at auction and your vacation package that you receive has a fair market value of $400.00, you can only deduct $600.00. That’s $1,000.00 for the donated car less $400.00 for the vacation package resulting in a maximum deduction of $600.00
We certainly do not want donors to be shocked by receiving a tax letter that states they have to subtract the fair market value of the vacation from the value of their vehicle.
If Your Vehicle Donation Is Worth More Than $500
If you donate a qualified vehicle to a qualified organization and you claim a deduction of more than $500, you can deduct the smaller of these:
- The gross proceeds from the sale of the vehicle by the organization, OR
- The vehicles fair market value on the date of the contribution. Note: If the fair market value was more than you paid for the vehicle, you can only deduct the amount you paid or the fair market value at the time you purchased the vehicle.
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What Can I Take A Tax Deduction For
In order to take a tax deduction for a charitable contribution, you’ll need to forgo the standard deduction in favor of itemized deductions. That means you’ll list out all of your deductions, expecting that they’ll add up to more than the standard deduction.
The most common expenses that qualify are:
- Mortgage interest
Can I Transfer My Donation Credits To My Spouse Or Common
Yes, charitable donations are flexible in how theyre claimed. If claiming your donations will not affect your balance owing or refund due to low income or due to claiming other deductions, you can transfer your all or some of your donations to your spouse. TurboTax standard products used for family returns will optimize the use of donations for you.
Jennifer Gorman, a Social Experience Manager at TurboTax Canada, has given some examples on how to maximize your donation credit by giving the following examples:
Penny is an animal lover. She donated $200 to the local SPCA in April. Her husband Jim made a one-time donation of $200 to the same shelter for Pennys birthday in May.
- If Penny claims her donation on her return and Jim claims his on his return, the credit works out to $30 each $200 X 15% = $30 for a total of $60.
But theres a better way.
Because donations can be pooled for both spouses, Penny and Jim can earn themselves a bigger credit by combining the two amounts!
- If either spouse claims the total amount, the credit works out to be $28 more. The first $200 remains at the 15% mark but the next $200 is credited at 29% $30 + $58 = $88.
Once the provincial part of the donations credit is applied, the credit grows even more. Provincial rates vary but in Ontario, for example, the $400 combined total yields a credit of $32.42. This means that Penny and Jims $400 not only did a lot of good for the local shelter, it also produced a tax credit of $220.42.
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You Must Truly Be An Art Collector Or Investor
In addition to meeting all these criteria, you must also fit the classification of an art collector or investor as defined by the IRS in order to to claim a tax deduction. If you’re an art dealer or an artist, you are not entitled to take deductions on charitable donations of artwork.
You Have To Donate To A Public Charity Formed Within The United States
The IRS does not allow donors to take a charitable income tax deduction for donations to non-U.S. charities. However, you may still be able to take a deduction for a donation to a U.S. charity even if they plan to use the donation in foreign countries. Make sure the charity you choose is a U.S.-based charity by asking for a copy of the charity’s exemption letter from the IRS. You can also use the IRS’s online search tool, the Exempt Organization Select Check.If you plan to donate art to charity upon your death, there is no requirement that a charity be U.S.-based to receive an estate tax deduction.
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Tax Tip: Claiming A Credit For Federal Political Contributions
Federal political contributions are donations that were made to a registered federal political party or a candidate for election to the House of Commons. You can receive up to 75 percent of your first $400 of donation as credit, followed by 50 percent of any amount between $400 and $750 and 33.3 percent of amounts over $750. The maximum contribution amount you can claim is $1,275 which translates into a maximum credit of $650.
To claim these amounts, save all official tax donation receipts for proof. The eligible amount is the fair market value of the contributions without any advantages that you might receive by making this contribution.
Enter the entire amount of your or your spouses/common laws contributions on line 40900 of your Income Tax and Benefit Return. Use the Federal Worksheet to calculate your tax credit, and use this calculated amount to claim your credit on line 41000. Regardless of how much contribution you claim on line 40900, the credit you can deduct on line 41000 cannot exceed the maximum limit of $650.
Note that if you contribute to a provincial political party, your donation credit is only applicable to provincial calculations:
*TurboTax Live Full Service is not available in Quebec.
With more than 20 years experience helping Canadians file their taxes confidently and get all the money they deserve, TurboTax products, including TurboTax Free, are available at www.turbotax.ca.
Claim A Tax Deduction
Your monetary donations and donations of clothing and household goods that are in good condition or better are entitled to a tax deduction, according to Federal law. The Internal Revenue Service requires that all charitable donations be itemized and valued.
Use the list of average prices below as a guide for determining the value of your donation. Values are approximate and are based on items in good condition.
Its a good idea to check with your accountant or read up on the rules before you file you return. Here are some handy opens in a new windowIRS tips for deducting charitable donations.
When you bring items to one of our donation locations, you may fill out a paper donation form. The form is required if you are donating computers and other technology equipment so that we can comply with state reporting requirements. Thanks for taking the time to fill it out!
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