When it comes to knowing what kind of items can be tax exempt or tax-deductible, you may be confused. There are certain items that are easy to understand — like how uncut bagels in NYC are tax exempt while sliced bagels have an 8.875% sales taxed as it counts as prepared food. But when it comes to charitable donations, it isn’t always cut and dry. So, let’s take a look at a few tax factors you should consider when making donations.
Know Which Charitable Organizations Qualify
While most charitable organizations qualify for tax-deductible donations, not all of them do. The easiest way to know if a certain charity qualifies for a tax deductible is to look for a 501(c)(3) designation or to search for it on the IRS website. A few types of organizations that generally qualify for tax-deductible donations include:
- Government agencies
- Churches or other religious organizations
- Tax-exempt educational organizations
- Organizations supported by the public
- Tax-exempt hospitals
- Medical research organizations
If you’re unsure if a donation is tax-deductible, look it up or seek help from local accounting services for more information. Overall, it’s important to know which organizations qualify for deductible donations so you can fill out the proper tax estimate on your forms.
What Are Some Restrictions on Donations?
While there shouldn’t be anything preventing you from making a charitable donation, it’s important to know that there are some restrictions on deducting charitable donations from your taxes. There are restrictions when your donation makes up a large part of your income. For example, if a cash contribution exceeds 50% of your AGI, part of it will have to carry over to the following tax year. Additionally, you can’t deduct donations if you get something in return for the donation. And lastly, there are restrictions when it comes to donating vehicles — generally, you’ll only be able to deduct the actual selling price from the charity. It’s important to understand restrictions and work with accounting firms in Manhattan to ensure you’re properly registering your gifts as donations.
Determing which donations can be tax-deductible can be complex, which is why it’s a great idea to work with a tax accountant. Consider working with the accounting firms in Manhattan to ensure you mark off your donations correctly.
