How to Maximize Your Tax Deduction for Charitable Donations

Updated for tax year 2024.

Most people don’t get into charitable giving purely for a tax benefit. However, the opportunity for tax savings is a nice perk for those who give back! If you itemize deductions on your income tax return, the IRS permits you to deduct the cash value of any contributions or donations made to qualified charitable organizations.

Charitable donations are an excellent way to lower your taxable income while giving back to your community or supporting an organization you care about. But not all charities qualify, and not all American taxpayers can claim this deduction. Here’s everything you should know before making a charitable donation this year.

At a glance:

• You must itemize your deductions to claim the tax deduction for charitable donations.
• The amount you can deduct depends on the type of donation, up to a maximum of 60% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).
• It’s good practice to always get a donation receipt from the charity for tax planning purposes.

What counts as a charitable donation for tax purposes?

Donations of cash, checks, or other charitable gifts to qualified tax-exempt organizations can be tax-deductible. Noncash contributions such as clothes can also be deductible, which we will cover in more detail further down.

To deduct a charitable contribution, you must file Form 1040 and itemize deductions on Schedule A.

What organizations qualify for the charitable donation deduction?

To deduct your charitable donation on your taxes, your donation must go to a tax-exempt organization recognized by the IRS. If you donate to a friend or family member’s crowdfunding campaign, for example, it’s likely considered a gift rather than a donation to a qualified charity and would not be tax-deductible. 

Tax-exempt organizations, also known as 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, include the following categories:

• Community organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America™
• Educational organizations, including schools, colleges, museums, and zoos
• Religious organizations like churches, synagogues, and mosques
• Charitable organizations like Goodwill® and the Salvation Army®
• Nonprofit hospitals and medical centers
• Other tax-exempt nonprofit organizations

You can find out if your preferred charity qualifies by running a Tax Exempt Organization Search on the IRS’s website and searching by name or employer identification number.

How much can I deduct from my taxes for charitable donations?

Generally, you can only deduct up to 60% of your AGI as charitable contributions. For example, if your AGI is $100,000 in 2024, all your deductible charitable contributions cannot exceed $60,000.

Sometimes, your deduction amount may be limited to 20%, 30%, or 50% of your AGI, depending on what you donated and what type of organization you donated to.

Tax-deductible charitable contributions take three forms: money, property (noncash), and expenses incurred while volunteering. If you give cash or write a check to a charitable organization, you can generally deduct the full amount of the donation.

However, if you receive something in return for your donation — like a gift card for a free massage — you need to subtract the value of the massage from the value of your donation. And if you donate property, most noncash donations are limited to 50% of your AGI. When donating property to non-qualifying organizations — like private foundations, supporting organizations, or donor-advised funds — your deduction can be capped anywhere from 20% to 50% of your AGI.

IRS Publication 526 covers the nuances of charitable contribution limits in more detail if you need more information.

We know it sounds confusing, but that’s why e-filing with TaxAct® can be beneficial. Our tax preparation software does all the heavy lifting by asking detailed questions about your charitable contributions to determine your deduction eligibility and ensure donations are reported accurately.

Can you deduct $300 in charitable contributions without itemizing?

No, you cannot deduct charitable donations for tax year 2024 if you choose not to itemize. During the pandemic, the CARES Act temporarily allowed taxpayers to claim up to $600 in deductible donations without itemizing ($300 for single filers), but this provision has since expired.

Can I claim charitable donations if I take the standard deduction?

Unfortunately, the charitable contribution deduction is only available to those with itemized deductions for 2024. If you’re unsure whether to itemize this year, check out Should I Itemize or Take the Standard Deduction?

When can you claim a deduction for a cash contribution of $250 or more?

You can write off all cash contributions of $250 or more as long as they are made to a qualifying charity and don’t exceed the IRS’s AGI limitations.

When you donate the items to charity, make sure you get a receipt or some kind of written acknowledgment from the charity for tax deduction purposes. Your receipt should include the charity’s name, the location and date, and a description of the items you donated.

For any donations of $250 or more (cash or noncash), you also need to get a written acknowledgment from the organization indicating whether they provided any goods or services in return for your donation. If you did receive something in return, you must get a description and a good faith estimate of its value from the organization.

Can I claim a charitable deduction if I received a gift in return?

Yes, you can still deduct charitable donations in this instance, as long as the goods or services you received in return were worth less than your donation amount.

For example, if you attend a charity silent auction and pay $10,000 for a vacation package worth $5,000, you can deduct $5,000 as a charitable donation. The organization you donated to should tell you what the item is worth in writing so you understand its value better and can provide proof to the IRS in case the agency requests it.

Noncash contributions and donations of property

The IRS insists that you deduct the fair market value of all property donations. Any property worth more than $250 requires a receipt, and anything over $500 needs to be verified by an appraiser. You must also fill out Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, for every property donation worth more than $500.

If you’re giving away clothing or furniture, the donation value equals what you would expect to pay for the item(s) in a thrift store or consignment shop. Remember to consider the condition of the item when determining its value.

To determine the value of cars and other readily valued property, consult IRS Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property.

Deducting volunteer expenses

If you incur certain expenses while volunteering for a charitable organization, you can deduct those as charitable contributions as long as the charity doesn’t reimburse you.

For instance, if you use your personal vehicle to deliver canned food to local homeless shelters, you can deduct the mileage (refer to the charitable purpose mileage rate). Likewise, if you purchased poster paper and paint to make signs for your church picnic, those expenses are deductible, assuming the church doesn’t reimburse you.

One thing that is NOT deductible is your time — the IRS doesn’t allow you to place a value on the time you spent doing volunteer work, meaning it’s non-deductible.

The bottom line

No matter what you donate, take photographs of the donation to support your value claim and save any donation receipts for at least three years. An easy way to keep track of these receipts is to snap a photo and store it in a folder on your phone or computer. At tax time, make sure to have the folder handy while filing your federal income tax return. TaxAct will take it from there!

This article is for informational purposes only and not legal or financial advice.

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