You
might be able to claim a donation to Haiti on your tax return for this year.
Here are the following ten facts of how to do it.
If you are
donating to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti, you may be able to
claim those donations on your 2009 tax return. Here are 10 important facts the
Internal Revenue Service wants you to know about this special provision.
1. A
new law allows you to claim donations for Haitian relief on your 2009 tax
return, which you will be filing this year.
2. The
contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas
affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
3. To
be eligible for a deduction on the 2009 tax return, donations must be made
after Jan. 11, 2010 and before March 1, 2010.
4. In
order to be deductible, contributions must be made to qualified charities and
can not be designated for the benefit of specific individuals or families.
5. The
new law applies only to cash contributions.
6. Cash
contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card may be
claimed on your federal tax return.
7. You
must itemize your deductions in order to claim these donations on your tax
return.
8. You
have the option of deducting these contributions on either your 2009 or 2010
tax return, but not both.
9. Contributions
made to foreign organizations generally are not deductible. You can find out
more about organizations helping Haitian earthquake victims from agencies such
as the U.S. Agency for International Development ( www.usaid.gov).
10. Federal
law requires that you keep a record of any deductible donations you make. For
donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the record-keeping
requirement if it shows the name of the organization receiving your donation,
the date of the contribution, and the amount given. For cash contributions made
by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a cancelled check or a
receipt from the charity. Receipts should show the name of the charity, the
date and amount of the contribution.
