Charitable
Contributions
Tax Exempt and Government Entities
EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS
Substantiation and
Disclosure Requirements
i
Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Table of Contents
Recordkeeping Rules ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
Monetary Contribution Requirement ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
Payroll Deductions ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
Noncash Contributions ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
Contemporaneous Written Acknowledgment ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3
Requirement ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3
Contemporaneous ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 3
Goods and Services ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4
Services and Unreimbursed Expenses ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6
Examples of Contemporaneous Written Acknowledgments ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6
Written Disclosure Statement ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
Requirement ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
Exception �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
Penalty ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
Further Information ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8
1
Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements, Publication 1771, provides
a general explanation of the federal income tax law for organizations, such as charities and churches, that
receive federal income tax-deductible charitable contributions and for donors who make contributions.
The IRS imposes recordkeeping and substantiation rules on donors making charitable contributions and
disclosure rules on charitable organizations that receive certain quid pro quo contributions from donors.
Donors must have a record of the contribution or a timely written communication for any
monetary contribution before donors can claim a charitable deduction on their federal income tax
returns.
Donors are responsible for obtaining a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from a charitable
organization for any single monetary contribution or noncash contribution valued at $250 or more
before donors can claim a charitable deduction on their federal income tax returns.
Charitable organizations are required to provide a written disclosure statement in quid pro quo
charitable contributions where donors receive goods or services in exchange for a single payment in
excess of $75.
For more detailed information on charitable contributions, see Charitable Contributions, Publication 526.
For assistance on valuing property donated to charitable organizations, see Determining the Value of
Donated Property, Publication 561. The rules in this publication do not apply to a donated motor vehicle,
boat, or airplane if the claimed value exceeds $500. For information on vehicle donations, see A Charity’s
Guide to Vehicle Donation, Publication 4302, and A Donor’s Guide to Vehicle Donation, Publication
4303. This publication does not address conservation easement donations. For information on qualified
conservation contributions, see Publication 526, Publication 561, and the instructions to Form 8283,
Noncash Charitable Contributions.
Are you an organization that receives contributions of $250 or more?
– or –
Are you an organization that provides goods or services to donors who make
contributions of more than $75?
– or –
Are you a donor who makes contributions to a charity?
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Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Recordkeeping Rules
Monetary Contribution Requirement
A donor cannot claim a federal income tax deduction for any monetary contribution unless the donor
maintains a record of the contribution or a timely written communication from the charitable organiza-
tion showing the name of the organization, the date of the contribution, and the amount of the contribution.
A monetary contribution includes cash, check, a transfer of a gift card redeemable for cash, and a
payment made by credit card, electronic fund transfer, an online payment service, or payroll deduction.
A record of the contribution includes a bank record, a statement from a financial institution, an electronic
fund transfer receipt, a canceled check, a scanned image of both sides of a canceled check obtained
from a bank website, or a credit card statement.
A written communication includes a receipt, a letter, and an email.
A timely written communication from the charitable organization is one that the donor receives from
the organization on or before the earlier of the date the donor files the donor’s original federal income tax
return for the taxable year in which the contribution was made or the due date, including extensions, for
filing the donor’s original return for that year.
The date of the contribution is the date the donor gave the charitable organization the contribution.
Payroll Deductions
For monetary contributions made by payroll deduction, the donor may use a pledge card prepared by or
at the direction of the charitable organization, along with one of the following documents:
a pay stub,
Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or
other employer-furnished document that shows the amount withheld and paid to the charitable
organization.
The donor must have these documents on or before the earlier of the date the donor files the donor’s
original federal income tax return for the taxable year in which the contribution was made or the due date,
including extensions, for filing the donor’s original return for that year.
If a donor makes a single monetary contribution of $250 or more by payroll deduction, the pledge
card or other document from the charitable organization must also include a statement to the effect that
the organization did not provide goods or services in exchange for any contributions made to the organi-
zation by payroll deduction if that was the case.
Each payroll deduction amount of $250 or more is treated as a separate contribution for purposes of the
$250 threshold requirement for contemporaneous written acknowledgments.
Noncash Contributions
Noncash contributions are contributions of property that do not meet the definition of monetary contri-
butions, above. Just as is the case for monetary contributions, donors are responsible for obtaining a
contemporaneous written acknowledgment from a charitable organization for any single noncash contri-
bution valued at $250 or more before donors can claim a charitable deduction on their federal income tax
returns. Additional substantiation requirements may apply to noncash contributions. These requirements
can be complicated. They depend on the type of property contributed and the claimed value of the property
contributed. See Form 8283 and its instructions as well as Publication 526 for additional information.
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Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Contemporaneous Written Acknowledgment
Requirement
A donor cannot claim a federal income tax deduction for any single contribution valued at $250 or more
unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous written acknowledgment of the contribution from the
donee charitable organization. An organization that does not acknowledge a contribution incurs no
penalty; but, without a contemporaneous written acknowledgment, the donor cannot claim the federal
income tax deduction. Although it’s a donor’s responsibility to obtain a contemporaneous written
acknowledgment, a charitable organization must assist a donor by providing a contemporaneous
written statement containing:
1.
the name of the organization
2.
the amount of any monetary contribution
3.
a description (but not the fair market value) of any contribution of property
4.
a statement that no goods or services were provided by the organization in return for the contribution,
if that was the case
5.
If the organization did provide goods or services in return for the contribution, a description and good
faith estimate of the fair market value of the goods or services
6.
If the organization only provided intangible religious benefits (described later in this publication) in return
for the contribution, a statement so providing.
It isn’t necessary to include either the donor’s Social Security number or tax identification number on the
contemporaneous written acknowledgment.
A separate contemporaneous written acknowledgment may be provided for each single contribu-
tion valued at $250 or more, or one contemporaneous written acknowledgment, such as an annual
summary, may be used to substantiate several single contributions valued at $250 or more. There are no
IRS forms for the contemporaneous written acknowledgment. However, samples of such acknowledg-
ments are provided below.
Letters, postcards, or computer-generated forms with the above information are acceptable. A charitable
organization can provide either a paper copy of the contemporaneous written acknowledgment to the
donor, or an organization can provide the acknowledgment electronically, such as via an email addressed
to the donor. A donor shouldn’t attach the acknowledgment to his or her individual federal income tax
return, but must retain it to substantiate the contribution. Separate contributions of less than $250 will not
be aggregated. An example of this could be weekly offerings to a donor’s church of less than $250 even
though the donor’s annual total contributions are $250 or more.
Contemporaneous
For the contemporaneous written acknowledgment to be considered contemporaneous, a donor
must receive the acknowledgment on or before the earlier of:
the date on which the donor files the donor’s individual federal income tax return for the year of the
contribution; or
the due date (including extensions) of such return.
Charities typically send written acknowledgments to donors no later than January 31 of the year following
the donation.
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Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Goods and Services
A contemporaneous written acknowledgment must describe and include a good faith estimate of the
fair market value of any goods or services a charitable organization gives to the donor in exchange for
the donor’s contribution that is valued at $250 or more. Generally, a donor’s deduction for a contribution
to an organization is limited to the fair market value of the contribution minus the fair market value of the
goods and services the donor receives from the organization in exchange for the contribution.
Goods or services include cash, property, services, benefits, or privileges. However, there are important
exceptions:
Token Exception – Goods or services that have insubstantial value that a charitable organization provides
in exchange for contributions do not have to be described in the contemporaneous written acknowledg-
ment.
Good and services are considered to be of insubstantial value if the payment the donor makes occurs in
the context of a fundraising campaign, the charitable organization informs the donor as to the amount of
the payment that is a deductible contribution, and:
1.
the fair market value of the goods and services the donor receives does not exceed the lesser of 2
percent of the donors payment or $125,* or
2.
donors payment is at least $62.50,* the only goods or services the charitable organization provides
bear the organization’s name or logo (for example, calendars, mugs, or posters), and the cost of these
items, in the aggregate, is within the limit for “low-cost articles,” which is $12.50.*
Low-cost articles a charitable organization sends for free to taxpayers who have not ordered these articles
are also considered to be of insubstantial value; examples include mailing labels or greeting cards.
*The dollar amounts are for 2023. Guideline amounts are adjusted for inflation. See IRS.gov for annual inflation adjustment information.
Example of a Token Exception: If a charitable organization gives a coffee
mug bearing its logo that costs the organization $12.50 or less to a donor
who contributes $62.50 or more, the organization may state that no goods or
services were provided in return for the contribution. The contribution is fully
deductible.
Membership Benefits Exception – An annual membership benefit is also considered to be insubstantial
if it is provided in exchange for an annual payment of $75 or less and consists of annual recurring rights or
privileges, such as:
1.
free or discounted admissions to the charitable organization’s facilities or events
2.
discounts on purchases from the organization’s gift shop
3.
free or discounted parking
4.
free or discounted admission to member-only events sponsored by the organization, where a per-
person cost (not including overhead) is within the “low-cost articles” limits
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Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Intangible Religious Benefits Exception – If a religious charitable organization provides only “intangible
religious benefits” to a donor, the contemporaneous written acknowledgment does not need to describe
or value those benefits. It can simply state that the organization provided intangible religious benefits to
the donor.
What are “intangible religious benefits”? Generally, they are benefits provided by a charitable organization
organized exclusively for religious purposes, and are not usually sold in commercial transactions outside
a donative (gift) context. Examples include admission to a religious ceremony and a de minimis tangible
benefit, such as wine used in a religious ceremony. Benefits that are not intangible religious benefits
include education leading to a recognized degree, travel services, and consumer goods.
Example of a Membership Benefits Exception: If a charitable organization
offers a $75 annual membership that allows free admission to all of its weekly
events, plus a $20 poster, the contemporaneous written acknowledgment need
only mention the $20 value of the poster, since the free admission would be
considered insubstantial and, therefore, would be disregarded.
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Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Examples of Contemporaneous Written Acknowledgments
“Thank you for your cash contribution of $300 that (organization’s name) received on December 12,
2015. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.”
“Thank you for your cash contribution of $350 that (organization’s name) received on May 6, 2015. In
exchange for your contribution, we gave you a cookbook with an estimated fair market value of $60.”
“Thank you for your contribution of a used oak baby crib and matching dresser that (organization’s
name) received on March 15, 2015. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your
contribution.”
The following is an example of a contemporaneous written acknowledgment when a charitable organiza-
tion accepts contributions in the name of one of its activities:
“Thank you for your contribution of $450 to (organization’s name) made in the name of its Special
Relief Fund program. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.”
Example of an Unreimbursed Expense: A chosen representative to an annual
convention of a charitable organization purchases an airline ticket to travel to
the convention. The organization doesn’t reimburse the delegate for the $500
ticket. The representative should keep a record of the expenditure, such as a
copy of the ticket. The representative should obtain from the organization a
description of the services that the representative provided and a statement as
to whether the representative received goods or services in accordance with the
requirements set forth above.
Services and Unreimbursed Expenses
Generally, donors cannot deduct the value of services donors give to a charitable organization. Under
some narrow circumstances, however, donors may be able to deduct unreimbursed expenses associated
with the services donors give to a charitable organization. See Publication 526 for a description of these
circumstances and the substantiation requirements.
If a donor makes a single contribution valued at $250 or more in the form of unreimbursed expenses, then
the donor must obtain a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charitable organization
containing a:
description of the services provided by the donor
statement of whether the charitable organization provided goods or services in return for the
unreimbursed expenses
description and good faith estimate of the fair market value of goods or services, if any, that the
organization provided in return for the unreimbursed expenses
statement that goods or services, if any, that the organization provided in return for the unreimbursed
expenses consisted entirely of intangible religious benefits (described earlier in this publication), if
that was the case
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Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Written Disclosure Statement
Requirement
Donors may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that their contributions exceed the fair
market value of the goods or services the donors receive in return for the contributions; therefore, donors
need to know the value of the goods or services. An organization must provide a written disclosure state-
ment to a donor who makes a payment exceeding $75 partly as a contribution and partly for goods and
services provided by the organization. A contribution made by a donor in exchange for goods or services
is known as a quid pro quo contribution.
Example of a Quid Pro Quo Contribution: A donor gives a charitable organiza-
tion $100 in exchange for a concert ticket with a fair market value of $40. In this
example, the donor’s tax deduction may not exceed $60. Because the donor’s
payment (quid pro quo contribution) exceeds $75, the charitable organization
must furnish a disclosure statement to the donor, even though the deductible
amount doesn’t exceed $75.
A required written disclosure statement must:
inform the donor that the amount of the contribution that is deductible for federal income tax purposes
is limited to the excess of money (and the fair market value of property other than money) contributed
by the donor over the value of goods or services provided by the organization
provide the donor with a good faith estimate of the fair market value of the goods or services
An organization must furnish a disclosure statement in connection with either the solicitation or the receipt
of the quid pro quo contribution. The statement must be in writing and must be made in a manner that
is likely to come to the attention of the donor. For example, a disclosure in small print within a larger
document might not meet this requirement.
Exception
A written disclosure statement is not required:
where the goods or services given to the donor meet the “token exception,” the “membership benefits
exception” or the “intangible religious benefits exception” described earlier
where there is no donative element involved in a particular transaction, such as in a typical museum
gift shop sale
Penalty
A penalty is imposed on charities that do not meet the written disclosure requirement. The penalty is $10
per contribution, not to exceed $5,000 per fundraising event or mailing. An organization may avoid the
penalty if it can show that failure to meet the requirements was due to reasonable cause.
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Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements
Further Information
recordkeeping rules – Recordkeeping rules for monetary contributions are contained in Section 170(f)(17)
of the Internal Revenue Code and Section 1.170A-15 of the Income Tax Regulations.
contemporaneous written acknowledgment – Detailed rules for contemporaneous written acknowl-
edgments are contained in Section 170(f)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code and Section 1.170A-13(f) of the
Income Tax Regulations. The “low-cost article” rules are in Code Section 513(h)(2).
written disclosure statement – Detailed rules for written disclosure statements are contained in Section
6115 of the Internal Revenue Code and Section 1.6115-1 of the Income Tax Regulations. The penalty
rules are contained in Section 6714 of the Internal Revenue Code.
IRS publications – Order publications by calling the IRS at (800) 829-3676. Download IRS publications at
www.irs.gov.
IRS customer service – Telephone assistance for general tax information is available by calling IRS
customer service toll-free at (800) 829-1040.
EO customer service – Telephone assistance specific to exempt organizations is available by calling IRS
Exempt Organizations customer account services toll-free at (877) 829-5500.
EO website – Visit Exempt Organizations website at irs.gov/eo.
EO Update – Subscribe to IRS Exempt Organizations’ EO Update, a regular email newsletter with infor-
mation for tax-exempt organizations and tax practitioners who represent them.
StayExempt – An IRS interactive web-based training program covering tax compliance issues confronted
by small and mid-sized tax-exempt organizations.
Publication 1771 (Rev. 11-2023) Catalog Number 20054Q Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov