The standard mileage rate is higher if you used your car to provide relief related to the storms, tornadoes, or flooding in certain Midwestern disaster areas. See Car expenses related to Midwestern disaster areas under Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Giving Services.

You may not have to pay tax on any mileage reimbursements you received from a charitable organization for the costs of using your car to provide relief related to the storms, tornadoes, or flooding in certain Midwestern disaster areas. See Mileage reimbursements related to Midwestern disaster areas under Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Giving Services.

Certain cash contributions you made for relief efforts in a Midwestern disaster area are not subject to the 50% limit or the overall limit on itemized deductions. See Limits on Deductions.

The following provisions that were due to expire at the end of 2007 have been extended to contributions made in 2008 and 2009.

• Special rules for contributions of food inventory. (See Food Inventory under Contributions of Property.)
• Special rules for qualified charitable distributions from IRAs. (See Qualified Charitable Distributions under Contributions You Cannot Deduct.)
• The special deduction limit for qualified conservation contributions. (See Special 50% Limit for Qualified Conservation Contributions.)

For 2008, if your adjusted gross income is more than $159,950 ($79,975 if you are married filing separately), you may have to reduce the amount of certain itemized deductions, including charitable contributions. For more information and a worksheet, see the instructions for Schedule A (Form 1040).

You can deduct contributions for flood relief, hurricane relief, or other disaster relief to a qualified organization (defined under Organizations That Qualify To Receive Deductible Contributions). However, you cannot deduct contributions earmarked for relief of a particular individual or family.

This publication explains how to claim a deduction for your charitable contributions. It discusses organizations that are qualified to receive deductible charitable contributions, the types of contributions you can deduct, how much you can deduct, what records to keep, and how to report charitable contributions.

A charitable contribution is a donation or gift to, or for the use of, a qualified organization. It is voluntary and is made without getting, or expecting to get, anything of equal value.

Qualified organizations include nonprofit groups that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific, or literary in purpose, or that work to prevent cruelty to children or animals. You will find descriptions of these organizations under Organizations That Qualify To Receive Deductible Contributions.

To deduct a charitable contribution, you must file Form 1040 and itemize deductions on Schedule A. The amount of your deduction may be limited if certain rules and limits explained in this publication apply to you.

We welcome your comments about this publication and your suggestions for future editions.

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You can deduct your contributions only if you make them to a qualified organization. To become a qualified organization, most organizations other than churches and governments, as described below, must apply to the IRS.

You can ask any organization whether it is a qualified organization, and most will be able to tell you. Or you can check IRS Publication 78, which lists most qualified organizations. You may find Publication 78 in your local library's reference section. Or you can find it on the Internet at http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78. You can also call the IRS to find out if an organization is qualified. Call 1-877-829-5500. (For TTY/TDD help, call 1-800-829-4059.)

Generally, only the five following types of organizations can be qualified organizations.

1. A community chest, corporation, trust, fund, or foundation organized or created in or under the laws of the United States, any state, the District of Columbia, or any possession of the United States (including Puerto Rico). It must be organized and operated only for one or more of the following purposes.
   1. Religious.
   2. Charitable.
   3. Educational.
   4. Scientific.
   5. Literary.
   6. The prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
   Certain organizations that foster national or international amateur sports competition also qualify.
   
2. War veterans' organizations, including posts, auxiliaries, trusts, or foundations, organized in the United States or any of its possessions.
3. Domestic fraternal societies, orders, and associations operating under the lodge system. Note. Your contribution to this type of organization is deductible only if it is to be used solely for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
   
4. Certain nonprofit cemetery companies or corporations. Note. Your contribution to this type of organization is not deductible if it can be used for the care of a specific lot or mausoleum crypt.
   
5. The United States or any state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. possession (including Puerto Rico), a political subdivision of a state or U.S. possession, or an Indian tribal government or any of its subdivisions that perform substantial government functions. Note. To be deductible, your contribution to this type of organization must be made solely for public purposes.
   Example 1. You contribute cash to your city's police department to be used as a reward for information about a crime. The city police department is a qualified organization, and your contribution is for a public purpose. You can deduct your contribution.
   Example 2. You make a voluntary contribution to the social security trust fund, not earmarked for a specific account. Because the trust fund is part of the U.S. Government, you contributed to a qualified organization. You can deduct your contribution.
   

The following list gives some examples of qualified organizations.

• Churches, a convention or association of churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other religious organizations.
• Most nonprofit charitable organizations such as the Red Cross and the United Way.
• Most nonprofit educational organizations, including the Boy (and Girl) Scouts of America, colleges, museums, and daycare centers if substantially all the childcare provided is to enable individuals (the parents) to be gainfully employed and the services are available to the general public. However, if your contribution is a substitute for tuition or other enrollment fee, it is not deductible as a charitable contribution, as explained later under Contributions You Cannot Deduct.
• Nonprofit hospitals and medical research organizations.
• Utility company emergency energy programs, if the utility company is an agent for a charitable organization that assists individuals with emergency energy needs.
• Nonprofit volunteer fire companies.
• Public parks and recreation facilities.
• Civil defense organizations.

You may be able to deduct contributions to certain Canadian charitable organizations covered under an income tax treaty with Canada.

To deduct your contribution to a Canadian charity, you generally must have income from sources in Canada. See Publication 597, Information on the United States-Canada Income Tax Treaty, for information on how to figure your deduction.

You may be able to deduct contributions to certain Mexican charitable organizations under an income tax treaty with Mexico.

The organization must meet tests that are essentially the same as the tests that qualify U.S. organizations to receive deductible contributions. The organization may be able to tell you if it meets these tests.

 
To deduct your contribution to a Mexican charity, you must have income from sources in Mexico. The limits described in Limits on Deductions, later, apply and are figured using your income from Mexican sources. Those limits also apply to all your charitable contributions, as described in that discussion.

You may be able to deduct contributions to certain Israeli charitable organizations under an income tax treaty with Israel. To qualify for the deduction, your contribution must be made to an organization created and recognized as a charitable organization under the laws of Israel. The deduction will be allowed in the amount that would be allowed if the organization was created under the laws of the United States, but is limited to 25% of your adjusted gross income from Israeli sources.