2020 Charitable Donations

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Published by nasonaccountin on October 6, 2020

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Don’t forget that Congress included a provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which is intended to provide some relief for charitable organizations, who are suffering a decline in contributions as a result of the coronavirus. Section 2204 of the CARES Act permits eligible individuals who do not itemize deductions to deduct $300 of qualified charitable contributions as an “above-the-line” deduction, i.e., as an adjustment in determining adjusted gross income (AGI), for tax years beginning in 2020.

An individual eligible to claim the deduction is any individual who does not elect to itemize deductions for 2020 (Sec. 62(f)(1)). The $300 limit per filing unit applies regardless of filing status.

For tax years beginning in 2020, eligible individuals may deduct up to $300 in qualified charitable contributions made to qualified charitable organizations. Any amount that exceeds the $300 limit may not be carried forward to future tax years or claimed as an itemized deduction (Sec. 62(f)(2)(C)). Moreover, charitable contribution itemized deduction carryforwards arising in tax years beginning before 2020 may not be claimed as an above-the-line deduction.