Donations to Toys for Tots and at Grocery Stores

I have two questions about including certain items in my charitable donations this year.

1. I donated a Nerf football to Toys for Tots when they were at Toys R Us last November. I saved my store receipt showing the purchase price of $13.99, but I realized I didn't get a receipt from the Marine who was standing next to the donation box. I'm not even sure if getting a donation receipt was an option since it wasn't offered. I'm concerned that I can't include this donation. Any thoughts on this?

2. My grocery store (Safeway) is involved in a lot of charitable giving and I am often asked if I'd like to donate a dollar to Breast Cancer research or People with Disabilities, etc. I've saved my receipts showing these donations. Sometimes the receipts are specific and I can see which charity it goes to, but other times it doesn't. I've checked the Safeway website and they have an extensive listing of the charities they supported last year. However, if they support more than one charity for Breast Cancer research, for example, how would I itemize this donation since I can't really be sure which charity my dollar went to. Again, I suspect I won't be able to include these donations this year.

These are small amounts, I know, but I'd like to get credit for them if I'm eligible.

Thanks.

KatinWA,

I would think the Safeway receipt with the donation item marked would be sufficient for those $1.00 cash donations. Personally I usually say no to those requests, I would rather send the organization a check.

Looking into your donation to Toys for Tots, IRS Pub 526, Charitable Contributions, says for non-cash donations less than $250, you must get and keep a receipt. The receipt can be a letter from the organization. The information on the receipt must show the value, the date and a reasonable description of the item donated.

The pub continues, "if you were to give non-cash donations to an organization where it is impractical to get a receipt, you do not need the charity's receipt/letter." Maybe the toys for tots would come under this category.

If you have an advantage for itemizing your deductions on Schedule A, I would include the Nerf Football. If you are audited for your donations, let the auditor decide if it is legitimate.

One new item this year for those that pay property tax on their main home and do not itemize their deductions, a single filer can add to their Standard Deduction the lesser of $500 ($1,000 for MFJ) or the property tax paid.

Clydewolf,

Thanks for your thoughts on these issues.

As a follow-up on the Safeway grocery issue, how would I itemize these deductions if the receipt doesn't list the specific charity. For example, I have one that just says "Breast Cancer." Another receipt says "People with Disabilities." It doesn't give the specific charity, which I think I need to list in order to itemize. I know they give to the Easter Seals, Special Olympics and MDA, but my receipt doesn't say which one it goes to. Again, these aren't big amounts, so I suspect I should just let it go.

Any other ideas?

Clydewolf,

I was just looking at Safeway's giving partners at http://www.safewayfoundation.org/NationalPartners.html.

Based on their description of the organization and their giving, I think the "people with disabilities" donation probably went to Easter Seals, but again, the receipt doesn't say "Easter Seals."

The "Breast Cancer" receipt doesn't say which hospital or organization, but since I can see the list of research centers Safeway gave to and one of those is in my local area, can I make the assumption that it went to the local center?

KatinWA,

These sound like questions you need to pose to safeway....

Start with the store manager.