New rules for how much you can deduct in charitable contributions
CNN
If you regularly make donations to tax-exempt charities and non-profits, you should be aware of upcoming rule changes governing how much of your contributions will be deductible.
If you regularly make donations to tax-exempt charities and non-profits, you should be aware of upcoming rule changes governing how much of your contributions will be deductible. Some of the changes, which are in President Donald Trump’s recently enacted federal tax-and-spending cuts package, affect filers who take the standard deduction. Others affect filers who itemize — which you do when your individual deductions combined exceed the standard. Here’s a rundown of some key changes that will take effect in 2026: In the first two years of the pandemic, if you took the standard deduction on your federal income tax return, you also were allowed to deduct an additional $300 ($600 for married couples filing jointly) for charitable cash gifts you made. That special provision then expired. But, starting in 2026 you will be allowed to deduct up to $1,000 in cash donations ($2,000 for joint filers). “This applies only to direct cash gifts to qualifying 501(c)(3) charities — not donor-advised funds or private foundations,” said Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals.
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