What Does My Wedding Dress Have to do With My Taxes?

Ah, the picture-perfect wedding dress. The endless hours you spent finding that gown undoubtedly paid off in spades on your big day, culminating in a collection of photos to cherish for years to come — but where is it now? If yours is simply taking up room in storage or your closet, you might have a valuable deduction on your hands come tax time.

How can my wedding dress help cut my tax bill?

Sweetheart neckline? Sweeter deductions.

Going strapless? How about tax-less?

Prefer an A-line? More like a bee line (to a bigger refund).

Okay, okay, we’ll stop — but you get the point. Tons of reputable organizations accept clothing donations of all kinds, but a few specialize in helping brides-to-be fulfill their wedding daydreams, and you can help. Whether the dress of your dreams was retired years ago — or you simply don’t see a reason to keep your recently worn one — you stand to gain more than the karma of doing a good deed when you donate. Share the love and get a tax break while you’re at it:

• Brides Against Breast Cancer: Help save lives when you donate to a cause focused on funding for breast cancer research, awareness, and early detection.
• Angel Gown® Program: Give the priceless gift of multiple infant gowns to parents who have lost their newborns in the NICU — all garments are provided to grieving families at no cost.
• Brides Across America: Your tax-deductible donation helps brides of military members and first responders overcome a variety of service-related hardships.

And don’t forget about those tiaras, veils, slips, shoes, and dresses for bridesmaids and flower girls — they can count as deductible donations as well. Some organizations even accept non-perishable items like candles and faux flowers; just keep your receipts for filing.

Get more from your gown and give to a great cause.

Still unsure as to how much you can save on your taxes with charitable donations? TaxAct™ has you covered. From the most common deductions out there to the ones that often slip through the cracks, our software guarantees your maximum possible refund — and we back it with the only $100k Accuracy Guarantee in the industry. So dust off that dress and do some good this year. A grateful bride (and your wallet) will thank you.

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• 3 little known ways to cut wedding costs