Top 3 Year-End Giving Strategies
Maximize your Tax Savings in 2019 with these Year-End Giving Strategies
As the holidays near and the year comes to a close, many people look for ways to support the causes they believe in, such as student scholarships, academic programs, athletic teams, and more. For those who itemize their deductions, making charitable contributions can also help to decrease tax burdens. There are ways for our charitable-minded donors to achieve both of these goals.
Here are three proven strategies that can help make the most out of your giving this year:
Giving appreciated securities instead of cash
While donations of cash or checks are the most common methods of charitable giving, donating appreciated assets may be a better financial option. You can donate most publicly traded securities without having to sell them first. This may potentially save you a lot in capital gains taxes.
Establishing a donor-advised fund
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a program that allows you to make tax-deductible contributions and then make recommendations to distribute funds to qualified charitable organizations. DAFs give you the power to take an immediate tax deduction that doesn’t require you to make an immediate decision about the organizations you hope to support.
Giving from an IRA
Rather than taking your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), which increases your taxable income, you can donate all or part of your RMD to a qualified charitable organization to avoid the additional taxation. These distributions may be subject to penalty if not withdrawn, so consider donating your RMD if you do not need the income.
If you are thinking about making a gift before December 31 to reduce your tax burden for 2019, consider any of these giving options. Not only do these options save you from giving money to the IRS, it allows you to maximize your charitable impact and support charitable organizations like Saint Leo University. Your gifts can establish scholarships for students, enhance our academic programs, and improve our athletic teams.