Charitable Contributions
- Are donations made to Victory Life Church tax deductible? Yes, contributions made to and for the use of Victory Life Church are tax deductible.
- How can I ensure my contribution will be deductible on my 2020 tax return? The cutoff date for a donation to be counted towards your 2020 tax return is December 31. If you donate online, any contribution received by 11:59 PM on December 31st would qualify. If you mailed a donation to us, the letter must be postmarked with a date of December 31st in order to qualify.
- Is there a limit to the amount of my contributions that can be deducted from my tax return? 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. However, for the year 2020, individuals may deduct qualified contributions of up to 100% of their AGI and may carry over to the next year’s donations in excess of 100% of their AGI.
- Are volunteer services tax deductible? No, services provided to a non-profit are not tax deductible. However, you may be able to deduct some of the out-of-pocket expenses you paid in giving these services. To qualify to deduct your out-of-pocket expense related to your volunteer services, any amount you claim must be unreimbursed, directly connected to your volunteer services, expenses you had only because of the services you gave, and your expenses cannot be personal, living, or family expenses. For 2020 you can use a “standard mileage rate” of 14 cents per mile to compute your deduction for any miles you drive in performing services for Victory Life Church. Please be sure to maintain accurate records for your tax return.
- Are contributions of property tax deductible? Generally, contributions of property are tax deductible up to the fair market value of the property at the time the contribution is made. However, this deduction cannot generally exceed 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) and in some cases could be subject to 20% or 30% limitations.
- What records do I need to keep in order to prove that I made a contribution? For cash contributions, you must keep one of the following.
- For any donation valued at $250 or more, you must have an acknowledgment from Victory Life Church in order to claim it as a tax-deductible donation.
- Does Victory Life Church send out Contribution Statements? Yes, donor contribution statements are delivered each year by January 31st for all cash contributions and contain the information needed to satisfy the IRS record-keeping requirements to claim a tax-deductible donation. In the event property was donated, non-cash donation letters are mailed out monthly as these donations are received.
The above information was taken from IRS Publication 526 and is intended as a summary of the most common questions asked by donors. The presented information does not constitute tax advice and should not be relied upon as such. Please consult your personal tax advisor for the specifics of any items referenced above or consult IRS Publication 526 to obtain the full details regarding tax-deductible contributions.