Considerations for Charitable Giving and Tax Strategies

Giving to charity has a good impact on philanthropy and can reduce your tax liability. A win-win circumstance is adored by all. The same is true with charitable giving and its tax advantages; you can help others while also helping yourself.

Giving to charity allows you to secure tax deductions and save funds for your heirs. To lessen your tax burden now and in the future while supporting a cause or bettering your community, take into account the following charitable giving tax techniques.

Giving Throughout One’s Lifetime

Being generous throughout your life has two tax advantages: tax deductions, and estate reduction. The results of your generosity are also something you can see.

As we approach the end of the year, the charity may spring to mind. Depending on your circumstances, you might generate more money in certain years than in others. For instance, if you get a large bonus or happen to sell a firm. Consider combining several years’ worth of donations to provide one larger donation and deduction during those high-income years. Rather than making smaller annual donations.

You can itemize deductions during the high-income year and use the standard deduction in the other years by combining donations. The annual maximum charitable deduction is 60% of your adjusted gross income. Though there may be circumstances where lower thresholds apply.

You can improve the direction of your giving strategy and maximize your tax savings by estimating your income for the year and comparing it to what you anticipate earning in the coming years.

Donate Highly Valued Items

Selling investments that have seen a significant increase in value over time, like securities or real estate, will result in a capital gains tax obligation. One method to avoid capital gains taxes is to donate these assets to a recognized charity. In addition, you can guarantee a tax deduction for the asset’s fair market value. The charity receiving the donation will profit from the fair market value of your gift and will not be liable for capital gains tax.

Reducing the size of your overall taxable estate is an additional benefit of donating highly prized items. Planning for estate taxes is crucial since the fiscal ramifications of having an estate that is subject to estate tax might be as high as 40%. Your taxable estate’s growth rate can be slowed down by removing high-growth assets from your estate.

Make Use of a Donor-Advised Fund

Giving through a charity vehicle, such as a donor-advised fund, is another method to increase your tax deduction during a high-income year. All while avoiding capital gains tax and potential inheritance tax in the future. A DAF can be created for you by several brokerage companies or regional community foundations.

You can give the fund money or other assets, like appreciated securities, and get a tax benefit right away in the year of contribution. You can suggest fund disbursements over time to the causes and organizations you care about while the fund grows tax-free. By doing this, you can plan your contribution to a DAF to fall during a high-income year to take advantage of a sizable tax deduction.

Transfer Gifts to a Good Cause

After turning 72, retirees with traditional IRA accounts are required to take the required minimum distributions. And after meeting their RMD obligation, some people could find themselves in the unpleasant situation of being in a higher tax rate.

After reaching the age of seventy-two, those who do not require their RMD distribution to support their lifestyle may want to employ the qualified charitable deduction or charitable rollover approach. By directly transferring your RMD to a qualified charity (up to $100,000 annually), you can use QCDs to lower your taxable income. All by eliminating the amount of the gift.

Establishing a Legacy

One popular approach to give and have an impact is to make charitable bequests through your will or trust. A significant advantage of a charitable bequest is that you can make sure your financial requirements are met before giving assets away to others. Even if you won’t gain the double tax benefits of gifting during your lifetime.

Donate Your Retirement Savings to a Good Cause

By designating a qualifying charity organization as the beneficiary of your tax-deferred retirement plan, you can make a gift tax-efficiently upon your passing.

If you name your heirs as the beneficiaries of your plan, any withdrawals may be subject to income tax and, depending on the size of your taxable estate, estate tax.

Additionally, inherited IRAs are now less desirable for heirs. All due to the SECURE Act’s recent changes to the laws governing them. Beneficiaries can only delay distributions for a maximum of 10 years before full distribution and tax payments are due. This 10-year window also lowers the ability for inherited IRAs to grow tax-deferred.

Giving non-Roth retirement assets to a recognized charity in addition to other assets to your heirs will assist your heirs to pay less tax because charities are exempt from taxes. Even a small charitable gift from your retirement plan can help your heirs receive some tax advantages.

Combining Legacy and Lifetime Giving

You can have an influence now and in the future with the aid of charitable trusts and giving. There are various solutions available, depending on your circumstances. Charity remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts are two of the most popular types.

Restricted Charitable Trusts

An irrevocable trust called a charitable residual trust (CRT) enables the trust’s grantor, or owner, to convert highly appreciated assets into an income stream. The grantor benefits from a tax deduction upon the transfer of the asset are exempt from capital gains taxes upon the sale of the asset. And may be able to reduce estate taxes in the future. The remaining trust assets are distributed to the qualifying charity organization(s) of the grantor’s choice after the grantor passes away. Or the period of the income stream expires.

Charitable Lead Foundations

The antithesis of a charitable remainder trust is an irrevocable trust called a charitable lead trust. A CLT transfers the residual trust assets to the grantor’s heirs after a specified length of time. During which it provides an income stream to an approved charitable organization.

The grantor can transmit assets to heirs without incurring gift. Or even estate taxes by removing highly appreciated assets from the estate and deducting the present value of the income stream donated to charity.

Working With a Consultant

Even while each of these charitable giving tax methods has advantages, it could be difficult for you to know which ones are most appropriate for your circumstances or when to use them.

You can create the best-giving strategy to meet your philanthropic objectives and save the most money on taxes during your lifetime and in the future by consulting with reputable financial, tax, and estate planning professionals from Your Part Time Accountant.