Brazos Trails 11-24-2011

17. Nov, 2011 1 Comment

So many help others during these holiday seasons
This is the time of year we hope for sunshiny days everyday. Put the bad
news off till after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
There are so many agencies that do good trying to help others are that are
not so fortunate.
A great number of organizations help others.
Guess the greatest of all is the Salvation Army. The annual kettle drive is
kicked off every year at half time at the annual Dallas Cowboy game. This is
their 14th year. They estimate
during these 14 years $1.3 billion have been raised. The SA estimates they
have served 30 million individuals each year. Keith Urban is the selected
singer this year.
A six page folder details all the many ways the Army helps others.
Churches show their best sides during the holidays.

The spirit of giving seems to grow during the holiday season, and many
donations are made to charitable causes at this special time of year. The
IRS reminds taxpayers to keep some important points in mind when
making donations with the expectation of deducting them on a federal tax
return.

You can deduct donations only if you make them to a qualified organization.
Most organizations other than churches and governments must apply to the IRS
to become qualified.

“Search for many charitable organizations online at IRS.gov with Publication
78,” said Clay Sanford, an IRS spokesman in Dallas. “Otherwise, most
organizations will be able to tell you whether they are tax exempt under the
Internal Revenue Code and eligible to accept tax-deductible donations.”
Qualified organizations include nonprofit groups that are religious,
charitable, educational, scientific, or literary in purpose, or that work to
prevent cruelty to children or animals.

Sanford added that it is necessary to file Form 1040 and itemize deductions
on Schedule A. Be sure to keep good records, too.

“There are recordkeeping requirements for cash contributions regardless of
the amount,” Sanford noted. “Remember to keep a written communication from
the charity with the name of the charity, date and amount of the
contribution or a bank record–canceled checks will work, or bank statements
containing the name of the charity, the date and amount.”

More information about charitable donations can be found in IRS Publication
526, available online at IRS.gov, or have it mailed to you by calling
1-800-TAX-FORM.