Haiti Donations Are Tax Deductible: Obama Signs Bill For 2009 Taxes

WASHINGTON � Taxpayers will be able to write off charitable donations to Haiti earthquake relief efforts when they file their 2009 taxes this spring under a bill President Barack Obama signed Friday.

The measure sped through Congress, receiving final approval Thursday.

Under current law, donors would have to wait until they file their 2010 returns next year to take the deductions. The bill would allow donations made by the end of February to be deducted from 2009 returns.

The hope is to encourage more donations. Obama has enlisted two former presidents – George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – to help raise money for quake victims.

A similar law was enacted in 2005 for donations to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.

The White House announced this week that the president and first lady Michelle Obama donated $15,000 from their personal bank account to the Haiti relief effort.

Comments

[peacebird]

05:59 PM on 01/24/2010

“OT -

I found a reputable charity, where you can sponsor a Haitian orphan from $15.00 per month.

It's called SOS Children's Villages. If you click on the link, you can find information about the charity.

https://secure2.convio.net/scv/site/Donation2?df_id=5140&5140.donation=form1

Please pass the link on to anyone you think might be interested.

I will be sponsoring from their UK website -

http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor-a-child/americas/haiti

I know there may be better charities, but after searching for days, this was the only one I could find, that met the following criteria.

1. The money will go to help a child in Haiti.
2. The amount of money you pay can be as little as $15.00 (most of the other charities were $28.00 - $35.00 per month), therefore, people who do not have a lot of money to spare, can get involved.
3. The aim of the charity is not to bring the children up in one, or other, religious denomination, but to feed, clothe, educate, and keep them with families, in their own surroundings, until adoption can be arranged.
4. The charity enables you to help long-term, rather than "Donate Now."

I really did spend days trying to find a charity that will allow some of us (on HuffPo), who don't have much money, to help (in a small way), on a long-term basis.

Virginia Plain””

[I once had a Crysknife]

04:25 PM on 01/23/2010

It's obvious that Obama understands that if you want more of something you cut taxes on it. Seems like he would do the same on the business sector. He must not want more jobs.

[mycotropic]

04:59 PM on 01/23/2010

Typical idiotic conservative response. Thanks for that.

[gage]

03:32 PM on 01/23/2010

I'm glad about this, but I wonder how you prove this. I gave to several orgs that do work all over the world and didn't specify that my money was to be used for Haiti. I guess I'm out of luck. But that's ok. I'm glad I donated.

After katrina, the govt raised the deductible amount on ALL charitable donations, so charitable donations really went up that year.

[dnegri]

01:39 PM on 01/23/2010

Good move. But will it be one of the deductions that will only apply if you file long form? Two-thirds of US taxpayers file short form.

[MartyJo]

11:40 AM on 01/23/2010

Rethugs heads explode daily when it comes to Obama. Gotta love these teabaggin/rethug pretend patriots who drape themselves in the flag just before they shi.it all over it!

[mikefina]

12:38 PM on 01/23/2010

Silly, noisy post, with nothing to support your lazy rant.

Many non-supporters of President Obama have lauded him for this gesture. Your timing, location and information are ALL failures.

A position in which I suspect you find yourself (failure), often...

[dnegri]

01:41 PM on 01/23/2010

Fox and Friends remains silent......

[on2them]

04:06 PM on 01/23/2010

did someone get their wittle fweelings hurt...yeah, the truth hurts

[sski74]

09:55 AM on 01/23/2010

The amount of anger over making these donations tax deductible in 2009 instead of 2010 is despicable. We are looking at a very poor country facing complete destruction. The people are dying in the streets with no health care, food, or water. People here are criticizing the President for allowing the deduction for 2009 instead of 2010 while sitting on their internet, sipping coffee and eating breakfast in the warmth of their homes. Give me a break! Stop looking for something to complain about and start support humanity.

[mikefina]

12:40 PM on 01/23/2010

You are only half-right.

Complaining about the 2009 deductibility versus 2010 is silly--IF that is the only complaint.

HOWEVER, it is NOT "despicable" if the complaint is that it is insufficiently effective OR, worse, ineffective but politically expedient.

[sski74]

02:56 PM on 01/23/2010

If it gets more funds to Haiti, who gives a rat's a*s if it is politically motivated. It it is incentive for 10 more people to donate, then so be it, it's a successful program. Leave the politics out of it.

[seekeru1]

09:35 AM on 01/23/2010

The "morality" of claiming tax deduction...

Since there are many posts that talk about why one should not claim tax deduction and do it for the right reasons, I'll chip in for the other team here.

We often have a specific amount of money we can set aside (e.g. a few hundred a year). In case of a natural disaster, there are company matches, and tax deduction. So, if I had 1k, and my company does 1-to-1 matching, and I can claim 33% tax deduction, I can back-calculate and come up with a 1.4k or so number. So, I send in 1.4k check to company, which sends in another 1.4k, and I claim tax deduction on 1.4k, which will get me back the 0.4k.

So, I wanted to give 1k "post-tax", and the actual money that is sent is 2.8k.

There was a time when I couldn't claim tax deduction and didn't have a company match. I gave a personal check to a friend that could do both and asked him to send the extra money. I doubt that it would qualify as a violation of any rule or morals, at least for practical purposes.

[Dupree]

08:55 AM on 01/23/2010

We are a cynical country that is critical of anything anybody does. WE can not resist the cry of the base nature within all of us to find fault and consider a half glass cup half empty with our pessimistic outlook on life. Any good gesture will be met with suspicion and scrutiny beyond the call of caution. It is a sad and pathetic state of this country. There are some that even resent the fact that aid is sent to this country in spite of the dire circumstances that makes those that are in the ten percent job loss category .....rich by comparison. What a bunch of heartless and cold blooded individuals that can not muster even a tear from their deliberate restraint to even evoke the emotion call compassion. There is a real truth that states "it is better to give than to receive." Or the statement that insists that when we "give it shall be given back to us without measure." No, we are of the mindset that my particular pain regardless of how it pales in comparison to others sufferings on this planet...is always the most important and prominent factor that shall be attended to and the heck with others.

[The Realist]

08:43 AM on 01/23/2010

Isnt it funny how when the politicians want something good to happen, or continue, they CUT taxes on it.

"Haiti donations are good....lets cut takes on them to make sure they keep happening."

Maybe they should go that route to spur job growth.

[happykiddo]

08:37 AM on 01/23/2010

For most people who take the standard deduction this means nothing.

[seekeru1]

12:04 PM on 01/23/2010

"For most people who take the standard deduction this means nothing."

You can give the check to a friend that claims itemized deduction (almost anyone with a mortgage), and that can even get a match from employer. The friend gets the tax deduction right away (file taxes now), and can give you back that money, or add the equivalent to the original amount in the first place.

Awkward, but effective.

[imsosure]

08:16 AM on 01/23/2010

Just keep sendin that gubment cheez

[v eyepete]

05:43 AM on 01/23/2010

I am sure the 12% out of work will welcome the opportunity to lower their taxes. Now what is he doing about our income?

[hjfraser2002]

06:59 AM on 01/23/2010

Pathetic. This is a real show how alot of people in this nation lack empathy.

[957]

07:53 AM on 01/23/2010

Where is your empathy for the people under hardship in this country, when is the last time you donated to your local food shelve, or church or to the red cross.

[hilary916]

03:35 AM on 01/23/2010

They should put "charitable loan" on the tax form instead of "donation" for the ones who include the money in their return.

[Schmaltzy the Golem]

03:20 AM on 01/23/2010

That should get the FOX "News" watchers donating...if they even know about the disaster.

[PoliticalRockChick]

05:25 AM on 01/23/2010

I don't think they know. Every time I change the channel and pass by on it, they not even talking about it. They are completely oblivious to it. It's like they're in another planet.

[hjfraser2002]

07:00 AM on 01/23/2010

If they only where on another planet. We would be making some real progress by now.

[957]

07:49 AM on 01/23/2010

Not true, you should not post lies, fox news does provide coverage.

[oregon bird]

03:19 AM on 01/23/2010

Haiti has lost even its most minimal infrastructure, and if Haitians attempt, yet again, to create a hodge-podge collection of housing and public structures, we will be forced see Anderson once again flexing his compassion muscles. Prat.

There is a possible solution for at least one of the problems that Haiti offers its population. We can help them build housing with excellent survival odds against hurricane or earthquake.

A company in Texas produces a form of housing called Ecoshells. They've been tested in India, Africa and Indonesia, and offer not only durability, but economic flexability and quick construction.

An Ecoshell is concrete, layered onto either the exterior or interior of an inflated Airform, a single one of which can be used anywhere up to 100 times! It's the best, thin-shell concrete structure currently available. It can withstand natural disasters, fire, termites and rot. In underdeveloped areas with hot climates, EcoShells make permanent, affordable, low maintenance, sturdy housing.

Haiti will need food storage facilities, particularly for grains. Almost 50 percent of all stored food grown in developing countries is wasted because they don’t have proper storage. Rice, wheat and other foods get infested by vermin. A concrete structure prevents that. They make attractive shops as well.

EcoShell construction can boost the economy of a developing nation by creating jobs. Much of the construction can be done by hand, and locals can be quickly trained to build them.

Go to the Monolithic site -- and then contact them about donations.