How much can I deduct for clothing donations 2022

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Giving to charity can be life-affirming—and as a bonus, it can help with your tax bill. If donating to a charity is part of your tax plan, here are a couple of tips so you can maximize your tax-deductible donation before year-end.

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What Is A Tax-Deductible Donation?

A tax-deductible donation allows you to deduct cash or property you transfer to a qualified organization, such as clothing or household items. A qualified organization includes nonprofit religious, charity or educational groups.

You can check whether the organization is tax-exempt by searching the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search Tool. You’ll need the complete name of the entity or its employer identification number (EIN).

Generally, the amount you can deduct on your taxes is the fair market value of the property you donate, or the cash value. However, in some cases, the IRS may limit the amount you can claim on your taxes.

You can generally claim charitable contributions if they’re less than 60% of your adjusted gross income. You can find your AGI on line 11 of Form 1040. Depending on the type of property and the organization, the IRS may even reduce your contributions up to 50%, 30%, or 20%. If you’re not sure about your contribution amount, you should consult a tax professional.

How To Maximize Your Tax Deductible Donation

If you’re considering donating to your favorite charity this year, here are a few ways you can maximize your tax deductible donation.

You Need To Itemize To Deduct Charitable Donations

Generally, you can claim a charitable donation on your taxes only if you itemize your deductions.

If your itemized deductions are greater than the standard deduction for your filing status, you should elect to itemize to reduce your taxes.

For the 2022 tax year (meaning the taxes you’ll file in 2023), the standard deduction amounts are:

• $12,950 for single and married filing separate taxpayers
• $19,400 for head of household taxpayers
• $25,900 for married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) taxpayers

Before filing your return, you should get an acknowledgment letter from the charity, containing the organization’s name, amount and contribution date, and keep a canceled check or credit card receipt for your records.

Maximize Your Tax Deductions by Bunching Your Charitable Donations

If you want to make the most of your giving and usually make charitable donations over $10,000, consider the bunching strategy, which allows you to “stack” your gift-giving in a tax year.

Let’s say you’re single and you would like to give $10,000 annually to your favorite charity. But since you don’t have any other itemized deductions, giving a gift of $10,000 wouldn’t qualify you to claim the full donation as an itemized deduction (because the 2022 standard deduction for single filers is $12,950).

In this case, you should consider the bunching strategy.

Here’s how it works: You give $10,000 on Jan. 1 and another $10,000 on Dec. 31. This strategy allows you to claim the $20,000 gift as an itemized deduction on your tax return for the year in question instead of taking the standard deduction. The $20,000 deduction can reduce your taxes.

Donate Stock to Charities

If you don’t want to donate cash before year-end, consider giving stock instead. Check if your desired charity has a brokerage account to accept your donation.

Stocks are great to donate because they provide two major benefits.

First, the value of your stock donation is equal to the fair market value (FMV) of the shares, which is what they would sell for on the date of the gift. Let’s say you purchased stock originally for $50 in 2020, but today the stock’s FMV is $500. If you decide to give the stock directly to your favorite charity, you would qualify for a tax donation of $500.

The second advantage is you won’t pay any capital gains taxes. Typically, if you sell stock you held for longer than a year at a profit, you would need to pay capital gain taxes. For 2022 and 2023, the capital gains tax rate is as high as 20%.

You can donate stocks through your investment broker. Fidelity Charitable, for example, allows you to set up a “Giving Account.” But be aware that these donations are common strategy at the end of year, so don’t leave it until the last minute because the gift will likely require some paperwork to authorize the donation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much of a donation is tax deductible?

Generally, you can deduct all your charitable contributions for the year as long as they do not exceed 20% of AGI. However, in some limited cases, you can deduct contributions up to 60% of your AGI.

It’s a good idea to speak with a tax professional to determine the amount you can claim. 

What do you need to write off a donation?

To prove how much you contributed, you will need to keep records. The type of record you keep depends upon the donation. 

For a tax write-off, you will need to keep a bank record for cash donations. For example, you should keep a copy of a canceled check, bank or credit card statement or receipt. Your receipt should provide the name of the qualified organization, the date and contribution amount. 

You may need to keep other records depending on how much you donate if you make a noncash donation. Generally, your record should include the date of your contribution, the name of the qualified organization and amount. You should also request a written statement from the organization to write off your donation. 

But keep in mind that for noncash contributions of more than $500 you may need to keep additional records. It’s a good idea to speak with a tax professional before making a contribution to determine which records you’re required to keep. 

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