Many individuals, businesses and charitable organizations wish to provide assistance to the victims of Haiti’s recent earthquake. The IRS has information on the IRS website on how to provide assistance to victims through a charitable organization.
Contributions to domestic tax-exempt, charitable organizations that provide assistance to individuals in foreign countries qualify as tax-deductible contributions for federal income tax purposes, provided that the U.S. organization has control and discretion over the use of funds. Donors should ensure that they make contributions to qualified charities. Use the Search for Charities function on the IRS website to see if the charity you intend to support is a qualified charity listed in IRS Pub. 78. Certain organizations, such as churches or governmental organizations, may be qualified to accept charitable contributions even though they are not listed in Pub. 78. The House has passed legislation allowing taxpayers to assist victims of the earthquakes in Haiti by allowing a deduction on their 2009 tax return for charitable contributions made in 2010. The Senate has similar legislation pending. NATP is monitoring this legislation and will update you when it is signed into law.
