Publication 526 - Charitable Contributions - Contributions You Can Deduct

Publication 526

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Generally, you can deduct contributions of money or property you make to, or for the use of, a qualified organization. A contribution is "for the use of" a qualified organization when it is held in a legally enforceable trust for the qualified organization or in a similar legal arrangement.

The contributions must be made to a qualified organization and not set aside for use by a specific person.

If you give property to a qualified organization, you generally can deduct the fair market value of the property at the time of the contribution. See Contributions of Property, later.

Your deduction for charitable contributions generally cannot be more than 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), but in some cases 20% and 30% limits may apply. See Limits on Deductions, later.

Table 1 in this publication gives examples of contributions you can and cannot deduct.

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Contributions from Which You Benefit

If you receive a benefit as a result of making a contribution to a qualified organization, you can deduct only the amount of your contribution that is more than the value of the benefit you receive. Also see Contributions From Which You Benefit under Contributions You Cannot Deduct, later.

If you pay more than fair market value to a qualified organization for goods or services, the excess may be a charitable contribution. For the excess amount to qualify, you must pay it with the intent to make a charitable contribution.

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Example 1.(p3)

You pay $65 for a ticket to a dinner-dance at a church. Your entire $65 payment goes to the church. The ticket to the dinner-dance has a fair market value of $25. When you buy your ticket, you know its value is less than your payment. To figure the amount of your charitable contribution, subtract the value of the benefit you receive ($25) from your total payment ($65). You can deduct $40 as a charitable contribution to the church.

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Example 2.(p3)

At a fundraising auction conducted by a charity, you pay $600 for a week's stay at a beach house. The amount you pay is no more than the fair rental value. You have not made a deductible charitable contribution.

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If you make a payment to, or for the benefit of, a college or university and, as a result, you receive the right to buy tickets to an athletic event in the athletic stadium of the college or university, you can deduct 80% of the payment as a charitable contribution.

If any part of your payment is for tickets (rather than the right to buy tickets), that part is not deductible. Subtract the price of the tickets from your payment. You can deduct 80% of the remaining amount as a charitable contribution.

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Example 1.(p3)

You pay $300 a year for membership in an athletic scholarship program maintained by a university. The only benefit of membership is that you have the right to buy one season ticket for a seat in a designated area of the stadium at the university's home football games. You can deduct $240 (80% of $300) as a charitable contribution.

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Example 2.(p3)

The facts are the same as in Example 1 except your $300 payment includes the purchase of one season ticket for the stated ticket price of $120. You must subtract the usual price of a ticket ($120) from your $300 payment. The result is $180. Your deductible charitable contribution is $144 (80% of $180).

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If you pay a qualified organization more than fair market value for the right to attend a charity ball, banquet, show, sporting event, or other benefit event, you can deduct only the amount that is more than the value of the privileges or other benefits you receive.

If there is an established charge for the event, that charge is the value of your benefit. If there is no established charge, the reasonable value of the right to attend the event is the value of your benefit. Whether you use the tickets or other privileges has no effect on the amount you can deduct. However, if you return the ticket to the qualified organization for resale, you can deduct the entire amount you paid for the ticket.

Even if the ticket or other evidence of payment indicates that the payment is a "contribution," this does not mean you can deduct the entire amount. If the ticket shows the price of admission and the amount of the contribution, you can deduct the contribution amount.

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Example.(p3)

You pay $40 to see a special showing of a movie for the benefit of a qualified organization. Printed on the ticket is "Contribution–$40." If the regular price for the movie is $8, your contribution is $32 ($40 payment − $8 regular price).

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You may be able to deduct membership fees or dues you pay to a qualified organization. However, you can deduct only the amount that is more than the value of the benefits you receive.

You cannot deduct dues, fees, or assessments paid to country clubs and other social organizations. They are not qualified organizations.

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Both you and the organization can disregard the following membership benefits if you get them in return for an annual payment of $75 or less.

Any rights or privileges, other than those discussed under Athletic events, earlier, that you can use frequently while you are a member, such as:
1. Free or discounted admission to the organization's facilities or events,
2. Free or discounted parking,
3. Preferred access to goods or services, and
4. Discounts on the purchase of goods and services.
Admission, while you are a member, to events open only to members of the organization if the organization reasonably projects that the cost per person (excluding any allocated overhead) is not more than $9.90.

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You do not have to reduce your contribution by the value of any benefit you receive if both of the following are true.

You receive only a small item or other benefit of token value.
The qualified organization correctly determines that the value of the item or benefit you received is not substantial and informs you that you can deduct your payment in full.

The organization determines whether the value of an item or benefit is substantial by using Revenue Procedures 90-12 and 92-49 and the inflation adjustment in Revenue Procedure 2011-52.

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A qualified organization must give you a written statement if you make a payment of more than $75 that is partly a contribution and partly for goods or services. The statement must say you can deduct only the amount of your payment that is more than the value of the goods or services you received. It must also give you a good faith estimate of the value of those goods or services.

The organization can give you the statement either when it solicits or when it receives the payment from you.

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An organization will not have to give you this statement if one of the following is true.

The organization is:
1. A governmental organization described in (5) under Types of Qualified Organizations, earlier, or
2. An organization formed only for religious purposes, and the only benefit you receive is an intangible religious benefit (such as admission to a religious ceremony) that generally is not sold in commercial transactions outside the donative context.
You receive only items whose value is not substantial as described under Token items, earlier.
You receive only membership benefits that can be disregarded, as described under Membership fees or dues, earlier.

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Expenses Paid for Student Living with You

You may be able to deduct some expenses of having a student live with you. You can deduct qualifying expenses for a foreign or American student who:

Lives in your home under a written agreement between you and a qualified organization (defined later) as part of a program of the organization to provide educational opportunities for the student,
Is not your relative (defined later) or dependent (also defined later), and
Is a full-time student in the twelfth or any lower grade at a school in the United States.

You can deduct up to $50 a month for each full calendar month the student lives with you. Any month when conditions (1) through (3) above are met for 15 or more days counts as a full month.

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For these purposes, a qualified organization can be any of the organizations described earlier under Types of Qualified Organizations, except those in (4) and (5). For example, if you are providing a home for a student as part of a state or local government program, you cannot deduct your expenses as charitable contributions. But see Foster parents under Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Giving Services, below, if you provide the home as a foster parent.

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The term "relative" means any of the following persons.

Your child, stepchild, foster child, or a descendant of any of them (for example, your grandchild). A legally adopted child is considered your child.
Your brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, or stepsister.
Your father, mother, grandparent, or other direct ancestor.
Your stepfather or stepmother.
A son or daughter of your brother or sister.
A brother or sister of your father or mother.
Your son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law.

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For this purpose, the term "dependent" means:

A person you can claim as a dependent, or
A person you could have claimed as a dependent except that:
1. He or she received gross income of $3,800 or more,
2. He or she filed a joint return, or
3. You, or your spouse if filing jointly, could be claimed as a dependent on someone else's 2012 return.

Foreign students brought to this country under a qualified international education exchange program and placed in American homes for a temporary period generally are not U.S. residents and cannot be claimed as dependents.

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You may be able to deduct the cost of books, tuition, food, clothing, transportation, medical and dental care, entertainment, and other amounts you actually spend for the well-being of the student.

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You cannot deduct depreciation on your home, the fair market value of lodging, and similar items not considered amounts actually spent by you. Nor can you deduct general household expenses, such as taxes, insurance, and repairs.

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In most cases, you cannot claim a charitable contribution deduction if you are compensated or reimbursed for any part of the costs of having a student live with you. However, you may be able to claim a charitable contribution deduction for the unreimbursed portion of your expenses if you are reimbursed only for an extraordinary or one-time item, such as a hospital bill or vacation trip, you paid in advance at the request of the student's parents or the sponsoring organization.

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You cannot deduct the costs of a foreign student living in your home under a mutual exchange program through which your child will live with a family in a foreign country.

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For a list of what you must file with your return if you deduct expenses for a student living with you, see Reporting expenses for student living with you under How To Report, later.

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Out-of-pocket Expenses in Giving Services

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Table 2.Volunteers' Questions and Answers

If you volunteer for a qualified organization, the following questions and answers may apply to you. All of the rules explained in this publication also apply. See, in particular, Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Giving Services.

Question	Answer
I volunteer 6 hours a week in the office of a qualified organization. The receptionist is paid $10 an hour for the same work. Can I deduct $60 a week for my time?	No, you cannot deduct the value of your time or services.
The office is 30 miles from my home. Can I deduct any of my car expenses for these trips?	Yes, you can deduct the costs of gas and oil that are directly related to getting to and from the place where you volunteer. If you do not want to figure your actual costs, you can deduct 14 cents for each mile.
I volunteer as a Red Cross nurse's aide at a hospital. Can I deduct the cost of the uniforms I must wear?	Yes, you can deduct the cost of buying and cleaning your uniforms if the hospital is a qualified organization, the uniforms are not suitable for everyday use, and you must wear them when volunteering.
I pay a babysitter to watch my children while I volunteer for a qualified organization. Can I deduct these costs?	No, you cannot deduct payments for childcare expenses as a charitable contribution, even if you would be unable to volunteer without childcare. (If you have childcare expenses so you can work for pay, see Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.)

Although you cannot deduct the value of your services given to a qualified organization, you may be able to deduct some amounts you pay in giving services to a qualified organization. The amounts must be:

Unreimbursed,
Directly connected with the services,
Expenses you had only because of the services you gave, and
Not personal, living, or family expenses.

Table 2 contains questions and answers that apply to some individuals who volunteer their services.

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You can deduct reasonable unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses you pay to allow underprivileged youths to attend athletic events, movies, or dinners. The youths must be selected by a charitable organization whose goal is to reduce juvenile delinquency. Your own similar expenses in accompanying the youths are not deductible.

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If a qualified organization selects you to attend a convention as its representative, you can deduct your unreimbursed expenses for travel, including reasonable amounts for meals and lodging, while away from home overnight for the convention. However, see Travel, later.

You cannot deduct personal expenses for sightseeing, fishing parties, theater tickets, or nightclubs. You also cannot deduct travel, meals and lodging, and other expenses for your spouse or children.

You cannot deduct your travel expenses in attending a church convention if you go only as a member of your church rather than as a chosen representative. You can, however, deduct unreimbursed expenses that are directly connected with giving services for your church during the convention.

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You can deduct the cost and upkeep of uniforms that are not suitable for everyday use and that you must wear while performing donated services for a charitable organization.

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You may be able to deduct as a charitable contribution some of the costs of being a foster parent (foster care provider) if you have no profit motive in providing the foster care and are not, in fact, making a profit. A qualified organization must select the individuals you take into your home for foster care.

You can deduct expenses that meet both of the following requirements.

They are unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses to feed, clothe, and care for the foster child.
They are incurred primarily to benefit the qualified organization.

Unreimbursed expenses that you cannot deduct as charitable contributions may be considered support provided by you in determining whether you can claim the foster child as a dependent. For details, see Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.

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Example.(p5)

You cared for a foster child because you wanted to adopt her, not to benefit the agency that placed her in your home. Your unreimbursed expenses are not deductible as charitable contributions.

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You can deduct as a charitable contribution any unreimbursed expenses you have while in a permanent diaconate program established by your church. These expenses include the cost of vestments, books, and transportation required in order to serve in the program as either a deacon candidate or an ordained deacon.

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You can deduct as a charitable contribution any unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses, such as the cost of gas and oil, directly related to the use of your car in giving services to a charitable organization. You cannot deduct general repair and maintenance expenses, depreciation, registration fees, or the costs of tires or insurance.

If you do not want to deduct your actual expenses, you can use a standard mileage rate of 14 cents a mile to figure your contribution.

You can deduct parking fees and tolls whether you use your actual expenses or the standard mileage rate.

You must keep reliable written records of your car expenses. For more information, see Car expenses under Records To Keep, later.

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Generally, you can claim a charitable contribution deduction for travel expenses necessarily incurred while you are away from home performing services for a charitable organization only if there is no significant element of personal pleasure, recreation, or vacation in the travel. This applies whether you pay the expenses directly or indirectly. You are paying the expenses indirectly if you make a payment to the charitable organization and the organization pays for your travel expenses.

The deduction for travel expenses will not be denied simply because you enjoy providing services to the charitable organization. Even if you enjoy the trip, you can take a charitable contribution deduction for your travel expenses if you are on duty in a genuine and substantial sense throughout the trip. However, if you have only nominal duties, or if for significant parts of the trip you do not have any duties, you cannot deduct your travel expenses.

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Example 1.(p5)

You are a troop leader for a tax-exempt youth group and you take the group on a camping trip. You are responsible for overseeing the setup of the camp and for providing adult supervision for other activities during the entire trip. You participate in the activities of the group and enjoy your time with them. You oversee the breaking of camp and you transport the group home. You can deduct your travel expenses.

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Example 2.(p5)

You sail from one island to another and spend 8 hours a day counting whales and other forms of marine life. The project is sponsored by a charitable organization. In most circumstances, you cannot deduct your expenses.

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Example 3.(p5)

You work for several hours each morning on an archeological dig sponsored by a charitable organization. The rest of the day is free for recreation and sightseeing. You cannot take a charitable contribution deduction even though you work very hard during those few hours.

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Example 4.(p5)

You spend the entire day attending a charitable organization's regional meeting as a chosen representative. In the evening you go to the theater. You can claim your travel expenses as charitable contributions, but you cannot claim the cost of your evening at the theater.

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If you provide services for a charitable organization and receive a daily allowance to cover reasonable travel expenses, including meals and lodging while away from home overnight, you must include in income any part of the allowance that is more than your deductible travel expenses. You may be able to deduct any necessary travel expenses that are more than the allowance.

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These include:

Air, rail, and bus transportation,
Out-of-pocket expenses for your car,
Taxi fares or other costs of transportation between the airport or station and your hotel,
Lodging costs, and
The cost of meals.

Because these travel expenses are not business-related, they are not subject to the same limits as business related expenses. For information on business travel expenses, see Travel in Publication 463, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses.

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Expenses of Whaling Captains

You may be able to deduct as a charitable contribution any reasonable and necessary whaling expenses you pay during the year to carry out sanctioned whaling activities. The deduction is limited to $10,000 a year. To claim the deduction, you must be recognized by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission as a whaling captain charged with the responsibility of maintaining and carrying out sanctioned whaling activities.

Sanctioned whaling activities are subsistence bowhead whale hunting activities conducted under the management plan of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission.

Whaling expenses include expenses for:

Acquiring and maintaining whaling boats, weapons, and gear used in sanctioned whaling activities,
Supplying food for the crew and other provisions for carrying out these activities, and
Storing and distributing the catch from these activities.

You must keep records showing the time, place, date, amount, and nature of the expenses. For details, see Revenue Procedure 2006-50, which is on page 944 of Internal Revenue Bulletin 2006-47 at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb06-47.pdf.

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Contributions
You Can Deduct(p3)

Contributions From
Which You Benefit(p3)

Example 1.(p3)

Example 2.(p3)

Athletic events.(p3)

Example 1.(p3)

Example 2.(p3)

Charity benefit events.(p3)

Example.(p3)

Membership fees or dues.(p4)

Token items.(p4)

Written statement.(p4)

Expenses Paid for
Student Living With You(p4)

Qualified organization.(p4)

Relative.(p4)

Dependent.(p4)

Qualifying expenses.(p4)

Expenses that do not qualify.(p4)

Reporting expenses.(p4)

Out-of-Pocket Expenses
in Giving Services(p4)

Underprivileged youths selected by charity.(p5)

Conventions.(p5)

Uniforms.(p5)

Foster parents.(p5)

Example.(p5)

Church deacon.(p5)

Car expenses.(p5)

Travel.(p5)

Example 1.(p5)

Example 2.(p5)

Example 3.(p5)

Example 4.(p5)

Expenses of Whaling Captains(p6)

ContributionsYou Can Deduct(p3)

Contributions FromWhich You Benefit(p3)

Example 1.(p3)

Example 2.(p3)

Athletic events.(p3)

Example 1.(p3)

Example 2.(p3)

Charity benefit events.(p3)

Example.(p3)

Membership fees or dues.(p4)

Token items.(p4)

Written statement.(p4)

Expenses Paid for Student Living With You(p4)

Qualified organization.(p4)

Relative.(p4)

Dependent.(p4)

Qualifying expenses.(p4)

Expenses that do not qualify.(p4)

Reporting expenses.(p4)

Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Giving Services(p4)

Underprivileged youths selected by charity.(p5)

Conventions.(p5)

Uniforms.(p5)

Foster parents.(p5)

Example.(p5)

Church deacon.(p5)

Car expenses.(p5)

Travel.(p5)

Example 1.(p5)

Example 2.(p5)

Example 3.(p5)

Example 4.(p5)

Expenses of Whaling Captains(p6)

Contributions
You Can Deduct(p3)

Contributions From
Which You Benefit(p3)

Expenses Paid for
Student Living With You(p4)

Out-of-Pocket Expenses
in Giving Services(p4)