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If I am being claimed as a dependent, can I still itemize my charitable contributions? (Please see details!)

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
June 3, 2019
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If I am being claimed as a dependent, can I still itemize my charitable contributions? If my charitable contributions are higher than my standard deduction as a dependent, can I claim the charitable contributions total as my deduction instead? I hope I stated that properly. Thank you in advance!

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Best answer by SweetieJean

You may deduct charitable contributions of money or property made to qualified organizations if you itemize your deductions. Generally, you may deduct up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income, but 20 percent and 30 percent limitations apply in some cases.

Because you are a dependent, I suspect your AGI is low, so this 50% limit might not exceed the Standard deduction.

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SweetieJean

Employee

Just be aware that the donated value may not be as high as you might expect. See this for help in planning:
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/itsdeductible/">https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/itsdeductible/</a>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8283.pdf">https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8283.pdf</a>
Ttt donating on several different days to keep each day's amount below $500.

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SweetieJean

Employee

Scroll down to see my answer re 50% limitation.

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emilyarnold01Author

Hi SweetieJean, apologies I never saw your follow ups!

Do I not have to complete Form 8283 if I donate less than $500 per day? I was thinking that form was for if the total of all of my charitable donations in a year exceeded $500, I would need to complete it.

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emilyarnold01Author

Thank you for the 20/30/50% limitations note too!

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SweetieJean

Employee

You must file Form 8283 if the amount of your deduction for ALL noncash gifts is more than $500.
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8283.pdf">https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8283.pdf</a>

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SweetieJeanAnswer

Employee

You may deduct charitable contributions of money or property made to qualified organizations if you itemize your deductions. Generally, you may deduct up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income, but 20 percent and 30 percent limitations apply in some cases.

Because you are a dependent, I suspect your AGI is low, so this 50% limit might not exceed the Standard deduction.

DoninGA

Employee

Yes, you can still report your charitable contributions/donations a Form 1040 Schedule A as an itemized deduction even if being claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return. If your total itemized deductions are greater than the Standard Deduction for your filing status the higher deduction will be used.