TeamIs my contribution tax-deductible? If you are a donor in America, then you should be asking yourself this question frequently. The direct answer to this question should be; it depends on who you donate to, and the overall amount you give. The main aim of charitable deductions is to help reduce your taxable income and tax bill as you improve the world. The main idea behind tax deductibles is to help people invest and save up some cash for retirement. Therefore you need to take advantage and donate as much as you can. If you have little cash, there are still more ways of giving your donation such as donating household items. Here are some points to note about tax-deductible donations.
Plan your Donations
Planning your giving will help you maximize the tax benefits you will receive. There are several tax planning opportunities that you can take advantage of for this purpose. For example, if you know that you will be in a higher tax bracket next year, you can hold off your donations for that particular time. For example, if you receive an income of $25000 and donate $15000 to a charity, you will receive the whole tax deduction. However, if you donate more than $15000, some amount will be carried forward to the next year. This means you will not enjoy the benefits of that deduction until after 12 months. Therefore planning your giving is necessary to ensure you enjoy every bit of your deductions and avoid the hectic work of tracking your carry-forwards.
You can Donate Household Items
You do not have to give out monetary donations only. Therefore if you do not have enough money, you can opt for household donations. If you are looking to save money through tax deductibles, all you have to do is clear your basement and closet. There are many tax exemption qualified organizations that receive household charitable items. For example, you can donate your clothes or household items to charitable organizations to give away or resell to those in need. However, the rules regulating non-cash items are stricter.
It is important to note that to make a tax deduction for non-cash items, you have to get a receipt from the organization and list the donated items and their market value. For larger donations, you must have additional documentation indicating more information on the purchase of the assets. Additionally, for items that exceed $5000, you will need to have an appraisal. 
Noteworthy, you can only donate household items that are in good condition. To understand the value, you will deduct the contributed property; you have to determine the price that a willing buyer would purchase it for, given that its price has depreciated. For example, if you donate clothes to a church, you have to determine what a typical buyer would pay for its quality, style, and condition.
If you are donating land to be used for agriculture, you have to price the land at the rate at which agricultural land goes for even though its value would have been high were it not restricted to one use. Some of the factors that affect the donation of assets include;
- The selling price of the item
- Experts opinion
- Replacements cost
- Prices and sales of similar items
Keep Track of your Carry-forwards
Once you hit the maximum percentage of taxable income, the extra amount will be carried forward to the next taxation year. Sometimes it is easy to forget about the tax deductions that have been carried forward, and you may fail to benefit from them. If it is impossible to deduct all your donations in a year, then you can carry them forward to a maximum of five years, after which they will expire. Should you fail to use them in time, then you may not enjoy them. If tracking proves difficult, you can hold off on donations to ensure you use up the existing deductions first.
Businesses that are Allowed to Deduct
The structure of the business and the type of donation are some of the things that determine whether a business is allowed to tax deduct. Primarily, a business that is structured as C-corporations is eligible for a tax deduction for charitable contributions made by their business under schedule A (form 1040). Businesses that fall under S-corporation can qualify for tax deduction subject to limitations, such as itemizing their contributions to qualify for a tax deduction.
Wrapping up
Contributing to charity is a way to exercise your generosity and save some money through tax exemption while at it. Even if you do not have enough money for donations, you can choose other non-cash items to give out. Also, you need to seek further advice from an accountant to ensure you make your donations in the right manner. You will also need to stay on top of your numbers to ensure you keep track of your carry-forwards.
