2020 Publication 526 - IRS tax forms

1 ContentsFuture 's That Qualify To Receive deductible You Can You Can't of To on To To To Get Tax DevelopmentsFor the latest information about developments related to Pub. 526 (such as legislation enacted after we release it), go to 's NewTemporary suspension of limits. Certain cash contributions you made for relief efforts in Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, or California wildfires are not subject to the 50% limit or the overall limit on itemized deductions. See Tem-porary Suspension of 50% Limit for Disaster Area contributions or Pub. 976, Disaster Relief for more on itemized deductions. For 2017, you may have to reduce the total amount of certain itemized deductions, including charitable contri-butions, if your adjusted gross income is more than:$156,900 if married filing separately,$261,500 if single,$287,650 if head of household, or$313,800 if married filing jointly or qualify-ing widow(er).

2 For more information and a worksheet, see the Instructions for Schedule A ( form 1040).RemindersDisaster relief. You can deduct contributions for flood relief, hurricane relief, or other disaster relief to a qualified organization (defined under Department of the TreasuryInternal Revenue ServicePublication 526 Cat. No. 15050 ACharitable ContributionsFor use in preparing2017 ReturnsGet forms and other information faster and easier at: (English) (Espa ol) ( ) ( ) (Pусский) (Ti ngVi t) Userid: CPMS chema: tipxLeadpct: 100%Pt. size: 8 Draft Ok to PrintAH XSL/XMLF ileid: .. tions/P526/2017/A/XML/Cycle04/source(Ini t. & Date) _____Page 1 of 22 13:54 - 12-Mar-2018 The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before 12, 2018 Organizations That Qualify To Receive Deducti-ble contributions ).

3 However, you can't deduct contributions earmarked for relief of a particular individual or 3833, Disaster Relief, Providing Assis-tance Through Charitable Organizations, has more information about disaster relief, including how to establish a new charitable organization. You can also find more information on Enter disaster relief in the search of missing children. The IRS is a proud partner with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Pho-tographs of missing children selected by the Center may appear in this Publication on pages that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring these children home by looking at the photographs and calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visiting if you recognize a Publication explains how to claim a deduc-tion for your charitable contributions .

4 It dis-cusses the types of organizations to which you can make deductible charitable contributions and the types of contributions you can deduct. It also discusses how much you can deduct, what records you must keep, and how to report chari-table 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 ex-pecting to get, anything of equal organizations. Qualified organiza-tions include nonprofit groups that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific, or literary in purpose, or that work to prevent cruelty to chil-dren or animals. You will find descriptions of these organizations under Organizations That Qualify To Receive deductible 1040 required. To deduct a charitable contribution, you must file form 1040 and item-ize deductions on Schedule A ( form 1040).

5 The amount of your deduction may be limited if cer-tain rules and limits explained in this Publication apply to and suggestions. We welcome your comments about this Publication and your suggestions for future can send us comments through Or you can write to:Internal Revenue ServiceTax forms and Publications1111 Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6526 Washington, DC 20224 Although we can t respond individually to each comment received, we do appreciate your feedback and will consider your comments as we revise our tax forms , instructions, and forms and publications. Visit to download forms and publications. Otherwise, you can go to to order current and prior-year forms and instructions. Your order should arrive within 10 business questions. If you have a tax question not answered by this Publication , check and How To Get Tax Help at the end of this ItemsYou may want to see:PublicationDetermining the Value of Donated PropertyDisaster ReliefForms (and Instructions)Itemized DeductionsNoncash Charitable ContributionsSee How To Get Tax Help near the end of this Publication for information about getting these publications and That Qualify To Receive deductible ContributionsYou can deduct your contributions only if you make them to a qualified organization.

6 Most or-ganizations, other than churches and govern-ments, must apply to the IRS to become a quali-fied to check whether an organization can receive deductible charitable contributions . You can ask any organization whether it is a qualified organization, and most will be able to tell you. Or go to Click on Tools and then on Exempt Organizations Select Check ( ). This online tool will enable you to search for qualified of Qualified OrganizationsGenerally, only the following types of organiza-tions can be qualified 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 pos-session of the United States (including Pu-erto Rico). It must, however, be organized and operated only for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purpo-ses, or for the prevention of cruelty to chil-dren or animals.

7 Certain organizations that foster national or international amateur sports competition also veterans' organizations, including posts, auxiliaries, trusts, or foundations, organized in the United States or any of its possessions (including Puerto Rico). fraternal societies, orders, and associations operating under the lodge system. (Your contribution to this type of organization is deductible only if it is to be 561 976 Schedule A ( form 1040) 8283used solely for charitable, religious, scien-tific, literary, or educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.) nonprofit cemetery companies or corporations. (Your contribution to this type of organization isn't deductible if it can be used for the care of a specific lot or mausoleum crypt.) United States or any state, the District of Columbia, a possession (including Puerto Rico), a political subdivision of a state or possession, or an Indian tribal government or any of its subdivisions that perform substantial government func-tions.

8 (Your contribution to this type of or-ganization is deductible only if it is to be used 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 2. You make a voluntary contribution to the social security trust fund, not earmarked for a specific ac-count. Because the trust fund is part of the government, you contributed to a qualified organization. You can deduct your The following list gives some ex-amples of qualified , a convention or association of churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other religious nonprofit charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross and the United nonprofit educational organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, colleges, and muse-ums.

9 This also includes nonprofit daycare centers that provide childcare to the gen-eral public if substantially all the childcare is provided to enable parents and guardi-ans to be gainfully employed. However, if your contribution is a substitute for tuition or other enrollment fee, it isn't deductible as a charitable contribution, as explained later under contributions You Can't hospitals and medical research company emergency energy pro-grams, if the utility company is an agent for a charitable organization that assists indi-viduals with emergency energy volunteer fire organizations that develop and maintain public parks and recreation defense charities. You may be able to de-duct contributions to certain Canadian charita-ble 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.

10 See Pub. 597, Information on the United States-Canada Page 2 of 22 Fileid: .. tions/P526/2017/A/XML/Cycle04/source13:5 4 - 12-Mar-2018 The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before 2 Publication 526 (2017)Income Tax Treaty, for information on how to figure your charities. Under the in-come tax treaty, a contribution to a Mexican charitable organization may be deductible , but only if and to the extent the contribution would have been treated as a charitable contribution to a public charity created or organized under law. To deduct your contribution to a Mexi-can charity, you must have income from sour-ces in Mexico. The limits described in Limits on Deductions, later, apply and are figured using your income from Mexican charities.