Donations to Haiti May Be Deductible on 2009 Returns

According to a recent post on a New York Times blog, “If you made a charitable contribution to the relief effort in Haiti, you may be able to claim a deduction on your 2009 tax return.”

Normally, contributions are deductible only for the same tax year in which they are made. But both houses of Congress moved quickly to make an exception, which allows taxpayers who itemize their tax deductions to deduct their donations on their 2009 returns for qualified Haiti disaster relief. President Obama is expected to sign the measure shortly.”

If you plan on making these deductions, be sure to keep your receipts! “Generally, a bank record or written communication from the charity will suffice, but it should include the charity’s name, along with the date and amount of the contribution. If you made a donation through your cellphone via text message, keep your telephone bill, which must also show the name of the organization and the date and amount of your donation.”

This news is interesting, but I personally did not give my charitable donation for the aid of Haiti to get a tax write-off, I gave money because I found it so sad that fellow human beings are suffering after experiencing such hardship after a natural catastrophe. So far, I have sent a donation to the American Red Cross and a text message donation to Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti organization. I plan to give two more donations to Habitat for Humanity and Doctors Without Borders during the month of February. It has been a goal for me to do charitable giving on a monthly basis for a long time, and making small donations for Haiti has just been a way for me to jumpstart the process.