Home » Posts tagged 'IRS tax forms' (Page 4)

Tag Archives: IRS tax forms

Not All Giving is Deductible

October 3, 2011 6:28 am / Leave a comment

Stacie Kitts, CPA is a partner at Katherman Kitts & Co. LLP

On occasion I run across a taxpayer who “helped” out a family or a friend and wants to deduct the money given as a charitable contribution.  They are always shocked to find out that helping your neighbor isn’t tax deductible unless its through a charitable organization.

Charity is good, but if you want to deduct it, be sure to check out the items below.

If you make a donation to a charity this year, you may be able to take a deduction for it on your 2011 tax return. Here are the top nine things the IRS wants every taxpayer to know before deducting charitable donations.

  1. Make sure the organization qualifies Charitable contributions must be made to qualified organizations to be deductible. You can ask any organization whether it is a qualified organization or check IRS Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations. It is available at www.IRS.gov.
  2. You must itemize Charitable contributions are deductible only if you itemize deductions using Form 1040, Schedule A.
  3. What you can deduct You generally can deduct your cash contributions and the fair market value of most property you donate to a qualified organization. Special rules apply to several types of donated property, including clothing or household items, cars and boats.
  4. When you receive something in return If your contribution entitles you to receive merchandise, goods, or services in return – such as admission to a charity banquet or sporting event – you can deduct only the amount that exceeds the fair market value of the benefit received.
  5. Recordkeeping Keep good records of any contribution you make, regardless of the amount. For any cash contribution, you must maintain a record of the contribution, such as a cancelled check, bank or credit card statement, payroll deduction record or a written statement from the charity containing the date and amount of the contribution and the name of the organization.
  6. Pledges and payments Only contributions actually made during the tax year are deductible. For example, if you pledged $500 in September but paid the charity only $200 by Dec. 31, you can only deduct $200.
  7. Donations made near the end of the year Include credit card charges and payments by check in the year you give them to the charity, even though you may not pay the credit card bill or have your bank account debited until the next year.
  8. Large donations For any contribution of $250 or more, you need more than a bank record. You must have a written acknowledgment from the organization. It must include the amount of cash and say whether the organization provided any goods or services in exchange for the gift. If you donated property, the acknowledgment must include a description of the items and a good faith estimate of its value. For items valued at $500 or more you must complete a Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, and attach the form to your return. If you claim a deduction for a contribution of noncash property worth more than $5,000, you generally must obtain an appraisal and complete Section B of Form 8283 with your return.
  9. Tax Exemption Revoked Approximately 275,000 organizations automatically lost their tax-exempt status recently because they did not file required annual reports for three consecutive years, as required by law. Donations made prior to an organization’s automatic revocation remain tax-deductible. Going forward, however, organizations that are on the auto-revocation list that do not receive reinstatement are no longer eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

For the list of organizations whose tax-exempt status was revoked, visit www.IRS.gov. For general information see IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, and for information on determining value, refer to Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property. These publications are available at www.IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Links:

Fixing Your Tax Return If You Messed It Up

October 2, 2011 6:55 am / Leave a comment

By Stacie Kitts, CPA

So you filed your tax return and now you’ve discovered that it’s all wrong or you simply forgot to include something.  Not to fret, there is a way to fix it all up.

Ultimately, the IRS will “fix” it for you if you forget to add a W2 or a Form 1099.  However, if you wait for the IRS to find and correct the error, and you owe additional tax, they are going to charge you interest on the taxes that are due until you pay them.  If you are going to owe a large amount of tax, you should consider filing an amended return and paying what you owe as soon as possible.

The Form you use to amend your return is Form 1040X.  Be sure to read the instructions carefully before you begin to complete this form.

You are required to explain the reason for the amendment and the effect on the tax return – there is a place for this on the form.  Plus, additional attachments will likely be required to be filed with the Form 1040X including updated / corrected Form 1040, the originally filed Form 1040 and associated schedules.

 Here are ten facts from the Internal Revenue Service about amending your federal tax return:

  1. When to amend a return You should file an amended return if your filing status, your dependents, your total income or your deductions or credits were reported incorrectly.
  2. When NOT to amend a return  In some cases, you do not need to amend your tax return.  The IRS usually corrects math errors or requests missing forms – such as W-2s or schedules – when processing an original return.  In these instances, do not amend your return. [ya, I don’t completely agree with this – see my comments above]
  3. Form to use Use Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to amend a previously filed Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ.  Make sure you check the box for the year of the return you are amending on the Form 1040X. Amended tax returns cannot be filed electronically.
  4. Multiple amended returns If you are amending more than one year’s tax return, prepare a 1040X for each return and mail them in separate envelopes to the appropriate IRS processing center.
  5. Form 1040X The Form 1040X has three columns. Column A shows original figures from the original return (if however, the return was previously amended or adjusted by IRS, use the adjusted figures). Column C shows the corrected figures. The difference between Column A and C is shown in Column B.  There is an area on the back of the form to explain the specific changes and the reason for the change.
  6. Other forms or schedules If the changes involve other schedules or forms, attach them to the Form 1040X.
  7. Additional refund If you are filing to claim an additional refund, wait until you have received your original refund before filing Form 1040X.  You may cash that check while waiting for any additional refund.
  8. Additional tax If you owe additional tax, you should file Form 1040X and pay the tax as soon as possible to limit interest and penalty charges.
  9. When to file Generally, to claim a refund, you must file Form 1040X within three years from the date you filed your original return or within two years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.
  10. Processing time Normal processing time for amended returns is 8 to 12 weeks.

Post navigation

← Older posts Newer posts →