| On January 22, the federal government initiated special | | | | need a copy of your statement with the same |
| tax deduction provisions for anyone donating to the | | | | information. Your bank records should suffice for |
| Haiti earthquake relief. If you donate money between | | | | checks and debit card donations, and a money order |
| January 11, 2010 and March 1, 2010, you qualify for this | | | | comes with a receipt. |
| tax deduction. Your donation can be made by check, | | | | This year's special tax deduction for Haiti donations is |
| money order, text message, credit card or debit card. | | | | based upon a 2005 provision in the tax code that |
| The special tax relief is for cash donations only, as | | | | allowed taxpayers to deduct any relief donations they |
| opposed to material goods. The donations must be | | | | made for the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean |
| specifically for earthquake victims in Haiti. You can | | | | tsunami victims. Taxpayers were allowed the |
| deduct the donations in this year's income tax return or | | | | deduction in January of 2005, as if it were 2004. |
| your 2010 income tax return, but not in both. | | | | You can benefit from these donations almost |
| To get the tax deduction, you must file an itemized | | | | immediately, if you file your 2009 income tax return |
| return and claim the donations on Schedule A. You are | | | | early. |
| ineligible if you claim the standard deduction. It is wise | | | | It is good to know that your generosity to a suffering |
| to be certain that your donations go to a designated | | | | people can come back to you in almost an instant, via |
| qualified charity. There is a searchable database | | | | the consideration of the federal government. Also, |
| available to you at IRS.gov under Search for Charities. | | | | please keep in mind that the country of Haiti will need |
| Contributions made directly to foreign organizations are | | | | sustained help for, possibly, the next five years or |
| mostly not eligible for consideration. | | | | more. Anything that you donate beyond March 1, 2010 |
| Like any charitable donation, you will want to keep a | | | | will still be a deduction for the applicable year, under the |
| record of your transaction. For a text message | | | | current tax code as it applies to charitable giving. So, |
| donation, you will need a telephone bill that shows the | | | | please do not stop your good works thinking that they |
| name of the organization receiving funds, the date, and | | | | will not continue to help you at tax time. |
| the amount of the donation. For credit cards, you will | | | | |