23 tagged with "Charitable Giving"
Donation strategies, tax-deductible contributions, and qualified charitable organizations
Section 4942 Private Foundation 5% Payout Rule: How Form 990-PF Trustees Calculate Minimum Investment Return, Qualifying Distributions, and Avoid the 30% Initial Excise Tax
Private foundations must distribute 5% of average non-charitable-use assets each year as qualifying distributions or face a 30% initial excise tax under IRC Section 4942. A trustee's working guide to Form 990-PF Part XII, set-asides, five-year carryovers, and the 100% additional tax.
Section 645 Election: One Form 1041 for a Revocable Trust and Estate
A practical walkthrough of the Section 645 election on Form 8855 — how executors and trustees combine a qualified revocable trust with the estate to file one Form 1041, pick a fiscal year, skip two years of estimated tax payments, and claim the Section 642(c)(2) charitable set-aside deduction.
Charitable Lead Trust (CLT): How Wealthy Families Transfer Appreciating Assets to Heirs at a Discount in 2026
A practical 2026 guide to the Charitable Lead Trust: how a zeroed-out CLAT uses the 4.6% Section 7520 rate to fund charity, transfer appreciating assets to heirs, and minimize gift and estate tax — with CLAT vs CLUT and grantor vs non-grantor tradeoffs.
Form 1023 vs Form 1023-EZ: Choosing the Right 501(c)(3) Application
A side-by-side guide to Form 1023 ($600, 30+ pages) and Form 1023-EZ ($275, three pages) — including the $50,000 gross receipts test, $250,000 asset cap, the 27-month retroactive recognition deadline, and why 37% of streamlined approvals failed to meet legal requirements.
The $6,000 Senior Bonus Deduction: How Taxpayers 65 and Older Can Cut Their 2026 Tax Bill (Through 2028)
The OBBBA's new $6,000 senior bonus deduction (up to $12,000 per couple) phases out at 6% per dollar of MAGI above $75,000 single / $150,000 joint and disappears entirely at $175,000 / $250,000. Available for tax years 2025 through 2028, stackable with the standard deduction and itemized deductions for taxpayers 65 and older.
Fiscal Sponsorship Explained: Run a Tax-Deductible Charitable Project Without Forming Your Own 501(c)(3)
A practical guide to fiscal sponsorship — how Model A (9–15% fees) and Model C (4–10% fees) differ, how donations flow legally, what an agreement must cover, and when a project should graduate to its own 501(c)(3).
Donor-Advised Funds and the Charitable Bunching Strategy: Beating the 2026 Tax Floor with Concentrated Giving
The OBBBA's 0.5% AGI floor and 35% deduction cap take effect in the 2026 tax year, raising the cost of small annual gifts. Concentrating four years of donations into a single donor-advised fund contribution can add roughly $39,600 in total deductions for a $200,000-AGI couple while keeping the recipient charities on their normal schedule.
Charitable Remainder Trust (CRUT vs CRAT): Tax-Free Asset Sales and Lifetime Income
How a Charitable Remainder Trust lets you sell appreciated assets without capital gains tax, take an immediate income tax deduction, collect lifetime income, and pass the remainder to charity—plus the math comparing CRUT, CRAT, NIMCRUT, and Flip CRUT structures under the May 2026 5.0% Section 7520 rate.
Donor-Advised Funds vs Private Foundations: Choosing the Right Vehicle for Your Charitable Legacy
A 2026 comparison of donor-advised funds and private foundations covering AGI deduction limits, the 0.5% itemizer floor and 35% deduction cap from OBBBA, the 5% payout rule, self-dealing penalties, and why closely-held stock donated to a private foundation deducts at cost basis instead of fair market value.
Qualified Charitable Organization: A Donor's Guide to Giving Smart and Claiming Deductions
How to verify 501(c)(3) status through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, substantiate donations at the $250, $500, and $5,000 thresholds, and work with 2026's new 0.5% AGI floor and non-itemizer charitable deduction rules.
Year-End Tax Moves: A Small Business Owner's Playbook to Cut Your Tax Bill
A small business owner's guide to year-end tax planning, covering income timing, retirement contributions, Section 179 and 100% bonus depreciation, HSAs, entity structure, and the QBI deduction with 2026 limits.