Can I deduct my donations from taxes?
December 16, 2023 | 40,00 EUR | answered by Eiko Hoffmann
Dear tax advisor,
My name is Marcus Götzinger and I have a question regarding my income tax return. Last year, I made some donations to charitable organizations and I am wondering if I can deduct them from my taxes.
Background information: In 2020, I donated a total of 500 euros to various charitable organizations. These organizations are involved in the areas of environmental protection, animal welfare, and education. I made the donations by bank transfer and also received donation receipts.
My current situation: I have already prepared my income tax return for the year 2020, but have not yet submitted it. Now I am unsure if I should include the donations in my tax return and if they are tax deductible.
My concerns: I want to make sure that I take advantage of all opportunities for tax savings and do not make any mistakes. Since I have the donation receipts, I would like to know if and how I can claim the donations for tax purposes to reduce my tax burden.
My question: Can I include my donations in the income tax return and deduct them from taxes? If so, what is the best way to do this and what documents do I need to submit to claim the donations?
Thank you in advance for your support and advice.
Sincerely,
Marcus Götzinger
Dear Mr. Götzinger,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the tax deductibility of your donations to charitable organizations in your income tax return. I am happy to explain to you how you can claim these donations.
In general, donations to charitable organizations can be deducted as special expenses in the income tax return. It is important to note that the annual maximum amount for deductible donations is 20% of the total amount of income. If you are filing jointly, the maximum amount is 40% of the total income.
In your case, where you have donated a total of 500 euros to various charitable organizations, you can claim these donations for tax purposes. It is important that you have donation receipts to prove the donations in your tax return. The donation receipts should be attached as proof if you submit your tax return electronically. If you submit your tax return on paper, you must attach copies of the donation receipts.
To declare your donations in the income tax return, enter them in the attachment "Donations and Membership Fees." There you can specify the individual donation amounts and the corresponding organizations. The total amount of donations will then be automatically considered as special expenses and will thus reduce your tax burden.
In conclusion, I recommend that you carefully keep the donation receipts, as the tax office may want to see them in the event of an audit. This way, you will be well-prepared and can correctly and legally declare your donations in your income tax return.
I hope this information has been helpful to you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Eiko Hoffmann
