Can I deduct cash donation to church when filing taxes?

We just gave around $20K to our church this past year, and now I'm trying to figure out the tax situation. I've been reading through IRS stuff and I *think* I understand, but wanted to double-check with you all. From what I can tell, we can only actually claim this donation (to reduce our AGI) if our total itemized deductions (state/local taxes + charitable gifts + medical expenses) go over the standard deduction of $29.2k. But our total is definitely less than that threshold, so I'm pretty sure we should just take the standard deduction instead. Am I understanding this correctly? Any help or advice would be super appreciated! This is my first time dealing with a bigger donation like this.

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22 comments

PixelPrincess

•8M

You've got the basic concept right, but there's a small correction. Charitable donations don't actually reduce your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income). Instead, they're itemized deductions that reduce your taxable income after your AGI is calculated. Here's how it works: you can either take the standard deduction ($29,200 for married filing jointly in 2025) OR itemize your deductions (which includes charitable donations, state/local taxes up to $10,000, medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of AGI, etc.) - whichever gives you the bigger tax benefit. Since your total itemized deductions don't exceed the standard deduction, you're absolutely correct that you should take the standard deduction. Unfortunately, you won't get an additional tax benefit from your generous $20K church donation.

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PixelPrincess

•8M

Yes, that's exactly right. You should only itemize when your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction amount. The IRS gives you the option to take whichever is higher. If you've been itemizing when your total deductions were less than the standard deduction, then unfortunately you have been missing out on potential tax savings. However, the good news is that you can't go wrong going forward now that you know - just compare the two numbers and take the bigger deduction.

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Chloe Martin

•8M

I had a similar situation last year with a big church donation. I was so frustrated trying to figure out the deduction rules that I finally tried this AI tax helper called taxr.ai and it made everything super clear. You just upload your docs or describe your situation and it explains exactly what you can claim. For your church donation, it would tell you what I learned the hard way - that standard deduction vs. itemizing calculation. When I uploaded my records to https://taxr.ai it actually showed me that I needed to track my donations differently to maximize them in the future. Totally changed my approach to charitable giving!

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Chloe Martin

•8M

Yes, it works for all types of charitable donations, not just churches. It breaks down the rules for cash donations, property donations, and even things like donated vehicles or stocks. It actually helped me realize I could bundle my donations every other year to get over the standard deduction threshold. As for accuracy, I was skeptical too at first. What convinced me was that it provides links to the specific IRS publications and tax code sections with its explanations. I actually cross-checked its advice with my accountant friend who confirmed everything was correct. The difference is it explains things in plain English without the confusing tax jargon.

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Diego Fernández

•8M

Guys! I tried that taxr.ai site after seeing it mentioned here and it was exactly what I needed. I've been making regular donations to three different charities and my church but never understood if I was handling them right on my taxes. The tool analyzed my situation and showed me I could "bundle" two years of donations into one tax year to get over the standard deduction threshold every other year. This actually saves me like $1200 in taxes every other year! It explained the whole process of how to time my donations and what documentation I need. Wish I'd known about this years ago!

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Sean Fitzgerald

•8M

If you're still having trouble figuring out your church donation situation, you might want to call the IRS directly to get official guidance. I had to do this last year and used Claimyr to get through to them quickly - https://claimyr.com. They have this system that holds your place in the IRS queue and calls you when an agent is available. I was skeptical it would work, but you can actually see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. After weeks of trying to get through on my own (and always getting the "call volume too high" message), I got connected to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes. The agent walked me through exactly how to handle my similar church donation situation.

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Sean Fitzgerald

•8M

No hacking involved! It's completely legitimate. They use a system that continuously redials the IRS using their callback technology, and when they get through, they connect you. It's basically doing what you'd be doing manually (redialing over and over) but automated. I was definitely skeptical too. I got different answers from three different tax preparers and needed to hear directly from the IRS. The agent I spoke with was really knowledgeable and explained exactly how to document my charitable contributions and when it makes sense to itemize vs. take the standard deduction. They even pointed me to specific forms and publications I needed. Totally worth it compared to the hours I wasted trying to call them myself.

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MoonlightSonata

•8M

OK I need to eat crow here. After dismissing that Claimyr service, I actually tried it out of desperation because I needed clarification on some charitable donation rules before filing. I got through to an actual IRS agent in 37 minutes after spending WEEKS trying on my own. The agent walked me through exactly how to handle my donation documentation and confirmed I was right to take the standard deduction this year. She also explained a "bunching" strategy where I could double up donations every other year to get over the standard deduction threshold. Can't believe I'm saying this, but it actually worked exactly as advertised. Saved me hours of frustration and probably a future audit.

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PixelPrincess

•8M

For cash donations, the IRS rules depend on the amount: - Under $250: You need a bank record, receipt, or other reliable written record - $250 or more: You must get a written acknowledgment from the charity before filing your return - Over $500: Additional reporting requirements on Form 8283 For your "cash in collection plate" donations, you should be keeping track of those amounts and dates. Some churches provide envelopes with your name that can help document these. Without proper documentation, the IRS can disallow these deductions in an audit, even if you're legitimately making the donations.

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PixelPrincess

•8M

I need to correct this information. The special $300/$600 charitable deduction for non-itemizers was a temporary provision for 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. It has expired and is not available for 2025 tax returns unless Congress brings it back. Currently, to deduct charitable donations, you must itemize deductions on Schedule A, and your total itemized deductions need to exceed the standard deduction to get any tax benefit. I recommend checking the most current IRS publications for the tax year you're filing, as tax laws do change.

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Daniel Rogers

•2M

Thanks everyone for the helpful discussion! This has been really educational. I just wanted to clarify one more thing - since we're definitely taking the standard deduction this year, should I still keep all my donation receipts and records from our church? I'm wondering if it's worth tracking everything just in case our situation changes in future years, or if there's any other reason the IRS might want to see proof of these donations even when we're not claiming them as deductions. Also, that "bunching" strategy several people mentioned sounds interesting - basically doubling up donations every other year to get over the standard deduction threshold. Has anyone actually tried this approach successfully?

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