For contributions made in tax years beginning after Aug. 17, 2006, no deduction is allowed  for any contribution of a cash, check, or other monetary gift to a charity unless the donor maintains as a record of the contribution a bank record or a written communication from the donee showing the name of the donee organization, the date of the contribution, and the amount of the contribution. This provision applies to any gift of money regardless of the amount.

This means that there is no de minimis exception to the new substantiation requirements for gifts of cash to charities. Thus, an individual who makes gifts of cash while attending services at his religious organization, won't be able to deduct them without proof, e.g., in the form of a letter from the organization. The organization will not be able to provide such a letter unless it has some method of knowing who made the deduction (for example - it is placed in an envelope with the donor's name and address on it).

Many religious organizations provide such envelopes to their members, and then after the end of the year send the members a statement showing what they contributed during the year. To conform with the new rules, the statement should show the date and amount of each contribution and not just the total contributed for the year.

Donation of Cars and Property

The Internal Revenue Code allows taxpayers a contribution deduction for the fair market value of property donated to a qualified charity.  Notice that I said "fair market value."  Here is an excerpt from the IRS publication 526 that discusses contributions in depth.   You can download or view this publication at the IRS website (www.irs.gov).

What is the definition of fair market value?   It is the price at which a seller is willing to sell and the buyer is willing to purchase the item,  with neither being under pressure to make the decision.

For large ticket items like used automobiles, there are many sources you can research to get a range for its value.  For example, Kelly Blue Book online (www.kbb.com) is a good source.  Another is the Recycler publication in California.   Newspaper classified ads can provide you with a reasonable range of a car's value.  Whatever source you use, print out and keep the documentation in case you are audited!   Take lots of pictures as well.  In fact, a video of a car running or even an appliance, computer, etc is very wise as you must be able to establish that the property was in "good working or usable condition."

The Salvation Army has a "valuation guide" on its web site (http://www.salvationarmyusa.org) that is a useful tool in valuing used clothing, furniture, etc.  At the time of this writing, the above is the active link directly to that section of their website.  If it does not work, then visit their home page and do a search for "valuation guide."

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn.nsf/vw-search/85256DDC007274DF80256B80003D22FC?opendocument

Keep in mind that the condition of the property you are selling must be comparable to the condition of the property for which you are using its value as being representative of the value of your item.  Take pictures of the items you are donating!! This will help establish their condition.

I have been concerned about recent advertisements concerning the donation of cars.  In the Los Angeles area, we hear repeatedly on the news commercials suggesting listeners donate their car, regardless of its condition,  and they will get the highest blue-book value as a charitable deduction.  Often, the spokesperson admits that the transmission is broken, or there is some other major problem, and they can't sell the car without fixing it.  So, you are lead to believe that you can donate this vehicle (that must be towed to one of these charities), and you will get the maximum blue book value as a deduction.  In my opinion, that is misrepresentation.  The law is clear.  You can only deduct the fair market value for most items.  For certain property that has appreciated in value, there are other adjustments that must be made.   

Going back to our example of the car that will not run, its value most likely lies in its parts.  If the car is new enough, then the value could be what it would be worth if it was working, LESS THE COST TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION OR WHATEVER ELSE WAS BROKEN.   The bottom line is that you CANNOT deduct the blue book value for a comparable a car that is in good condition and runs if your car is broken or is in poorer condition!  

When you decide to deduct a contribution of property, be sure to document its condition and how you determined its value.  As mentioned previously, take pictures of the property at the time of donation.  Keep printouts from KBB.COM (for vehciles) or newspaper classified ads of similar items.   If you are donating clothing or furniture, pictures are important and help establish the condition of the property.   For property of high value, get an appraisal.

The IRS recently released a couple of publications that deal exclusively with donations of autos.

IRS Publication 4302 ; IRS Publication 4303 ; IR 2004-84

These are available on the IRS website.  They are called A Donor's Guide to Car Donations, and A Charity's Guide to Car Donations.

In announcing the release of the publications, IRS Commissioner Everson said: “Supporting charitable activities through tax deductible contributions is an important element of tax law and serves the national interest. But we encourage people to proceed carefully when donating vehicles. There are instances where the donations may provide little benefit to the charity.”

Guide for charities. IRS Publication 4302 (“A Charity's Guide to Car Donations”) describes four common types of car donation programs:

(a) The charity uses donated cars in its charitable program or distributes the cars to needy individuals. This program does not affect the charity's tax-exempt status and donors may deduct their contributions.

(b) The charity sells cars that are donated and uses the proceeds to fund its charitable programs. Results are the same as in (a).

(c) The charity hires a private, for-profit entity to operate the car donation program. If there is a valid agency relationship and the program is subject to the charity's oversight, the results are the same as in (a).

(d) The charity grants a for-profit entity the right to use the charity's name in soliciting donations of cars. The charity receives either a flat fee or a percentage of the proceeds from sale of donated autos to support its programs, but has no control over the for-profit entity's activities. Because there is no agency relationship, contributions are treated as made to the for-profit entity and not to the charity. Donors may not deduct the value of their autos.

Guide for donors. IRS Publication 4303 (“A Donor's Guide to Car Donations”) says that would-be donors of automobiles should (1) check out the charity, (2) check the value of the vehicle being donated, and (3) check their responsibilities as a donor, as follows:

(a) If the donor wants to claim a deduction for the donation of a car, he should make certain the charity is a qualified organization. Otherwise, the donation is not tax deductible.

 

(b) The deduction is limited to the fair market value of the car, i.e., the price that a willing buyer would pay and a willing seller would accept for the car, when neither party is compelled to buy or sell, and both parties have reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts. According to IRS, some fund-raisers claim that donors can, in all cases, deduct the full value of their vehicle as found in a used car guide, such as “blue book” value. A used car guide may be a good starting point to value a car, but IRS says that fair market value may be substantially less than blue book.

Blue book value is normally based on a vehicle in reasonably good operating order and without significant damage to the body. If a vehicle needs extensive repairs, its value may be substantially less than blue book value.

(c) If the total deduction for a donated car is $250 or more, the donor must obtain a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity. The charity can provide a paper copy of the acknowledgment or an electronic (e-mail) acknowledgment. If the deduction is more than $500, the donor must complete Section A of Form 8283 and attach it to his return. If the deduction is more than $5,000, the donor must get a written appraisal from a qualified appraiser and also complete Section B of Form 8283, which also requires the signature of an authorized official of the charity.

Legislation is pending that will change these rules. 

The House passed version of the 2004 JOBS Act (H.R. 4250) would bar a charitable deduction for contributions of motor vehicles, boats, or aircraft valued at $250 or more unless the donor obtained a qualified appraisal of the property on or before the date of the contribution. According to the Committee Report, the definition of qualified appraisal generally follows the current law definition, subject to additional guidance that would be spelled out in IRS regs. The House provision would apply to contributions made after June 3, 2004.

The Senate passed bill (S. 1637) would apply to cars, boats, and planes valued at more than $500. No deduction would be allowed unless a contemporaneous written acknowledgment of the contribution by the donee organization was attached to the return claiming the deduction. The acknowledgment would have to identify the donor and include the VIN or similar number of the vehicle. If the donee sold the vehicle without any significant intervening use, the acknowledgment would have to also indicate the gross proceeds from the sale. The donor's deduction would be limited to that amount. Donee organizations would be subject to penalties for failure to furnish or furnishing a false or fraudulent acknowledgment. The Senate provision would apply to contributions after June 30, 2004.

It is important that if you are planning to donate property with the expectation of claiming a contribution deduction, you should read the publication 526 carefully.  There are strict rules regarding the record keeping requirements.  Contributions of property valued over $5,000 require a written appraisal by a qualified appraiser. 

As a heads-up, if you overstate your contribution deduction by certain percentages, you can be hit with an unpleasant penalty in addition to having your deduction reduced.

I certainly support and encourage people to contribute property to charities as they can put  the donation to the use and benefit of others in need.  However, please remember that when it comes to determining what you can deduct for your donation, there are strict rules that must be followed.  

UPDATE:

Here is an excerpt from the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 that pertains to this area.

Revised 4/13/2011