§ 170.
(c)
Charitable contribution defined
For purposes of this section, the term “charitable contribution” means a contribution or gift to or for the use of—
(1)
A State, a possession of the United States, or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing, or the United States or the District of Columbia, but only if the contribution or gift is made for exclusively public purposes.
(2)
A corporation, trust, or community chest, fund, or foundation—
(A)
created or organized in the United States or in any possession thereof, or under the law of the United States, any State, the District of Columbia, or any possession of the United States;
(B)
organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals;
(C)
no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual; and
(D)
which is not disqualified for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) by reason of attempting to influence legislation, and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.
A contribution or gift by a corporation to a trust, chest, fund, or foundation shall be deductible by reason of this paragraph only if it is to be used within the United States or any of its possessions exclusively for purposes specified in subparagraph (B). Rules similar to the rules of section 501(j) shall apply for purposes of this paragraph.
(3)
A post or organization of war veterans, or an auxiliary unit or society of, or trust or foundation for, any such post or organization—
(A)
organized in the United States or any of its possessions, and
(B)
no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
(4)
In the case of a contribution or gift by an individual, a domestic fraternal society, order, or association, operating under the lodge system, but only if such contribution or gift is to be used exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
(5)
A cemetery company owned and operated exclusively for the benefit of its members, or any corporation chartered solely for burial purposes as a cemetery corporation and not permitted by its charter to engage in any business not necessarily incident to that purpose, if such company or corporation is not operated for profit and no part of the net earnings of such company or corporation inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
(6)
An organization described in section 501(c)(19) that is a federally chartered corporation.
For purposes of this section, the term “charitable contribution” also means an amount treated under subsection (g) as paid for the use of an organization described in paragraph (2), (3), or (4).
(f)
Disallowance of deduction in certain cases and special rules
(2)
Contributions of property placed in trust
(B)
Income interests, etc.
(C)
Denial of deduction in case of payments by certain trusts
(3)
Denial of deduction in case of certain contributions of partial interests in property
(B)
Exceptions
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to—
(i)
a contribution of a remainder interest in a personal residence or farm,
(ii)
a contribution of an undivided portion of the taxpayer’s entire interest in property, and
(iii)
a qualified conservation contribution.
(4)
Valuation of remainder interest in real property
(5)
Reduction for certain interest
If, in connection with any charitable contribution, a liability is assumed by the recipient or by any other person, or if a charitable contribution is of property which is subject to a liability, then, to the extent necessary to avoid the duplication of amounts, the amount taken into account for purposes of this section as the amount of the charitable contribution—
(A)
shall be reduced for interest (i) which has been paid (or is to be paid) by the taxpayer, (ii) which is attributable to the liability, and (iii) which is attributable to any period after the making of the contribution, and
(B)
in the case of a bond, shall be further reduced for interest (i) which has been paid (or is to be paid) by the taxpayer on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry such bond, and (ii) which is attributable to any period before the making of the contribution.
The reduction pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall not exceed the interest (including interest equivalent) on the bond which is attributable to any period before the making of the contribution and which is not (under the taxpayer’s method of accounting) includible in the gross income of the taxpayer for any taxable year. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “bond” means any bond, debenture, note, or certificate or other evidence of indebtedness.
(6)
Deductions for out-of-pocket expenditures
(7)
Reformations to comply with paragraph (2)
(B)
Rules similar to section 2055(e)(3) to apply
(8)
Substantiation requirement for certain contributions
(B)
Content of acknowledgement
An acknowledgement meets the requirements of this subparagraph if it includes the following information:
(i)
The amount of cash and a description (but not value) of any property other than cash contributed.
(ii)
Whether the donee organization provided any goods or services in consideration, in whole or in part, for any property described in clause (i).
(iii)
A description and good faith estimate of the value of any goods or services referred to in clause (ii) or, if such goods or services consist solely of intangible religious benefits, a statement to that effect.
For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “intangible religious benefit” means any intangible religious benefit which is provided by an organization organized exclusively for religious purposes and which generally is not sold in a commercial transaction outside the donative context.
(C)
Contemporaneous
For purposes of subparagraph (A), an acknowledgment shall be considered to be contemporaneous if the taxpayer obtains the acknowledgment on or before the earlier of—
(i)
the date on which the taxpayer files a return for the taxable year in which the contribution was made, or
(ii)
the due date (including extensions) for filing such return.
(9)
Denial of deduction where contribution for lobbying activities
(10)
Split-dollar life insurance, annuity, and endowment contracts
(A)
In general
Nothing in this section or in section 545(b)(2), 642(c), 2055, 2106(a)(2), or 2522 shall be construed to allow a deduction, and no deduction shall be allowed, for any transfer to or for the use of an organization described in subsection (c) if in connection with such transfer—
(i)
the organization directly or indirectly pays, or has previously paid, any premium on any personal benefit contract with respect to the transferor, or
(ii)
there is an understanding or expectation that any person will directly or indirectly pay any premium on any personal benefit contract with respect to the transferor.
(B)
Personal benefit contract
(C)
Application to charitable remainder trusts
(D)
Exception for certain annuity contracts
If, in connection with a transfer to or for the use of an organization described in subsection (c), such organization incurs an obligation to pay a charitable gift annuity (as defined in section 501(m)) and such organization purchases any annuity contract to fund such obligation, persons receiving payments under the charitable gift annuity shall not be treated for purposes of subparagraph (B) as indirect beneficiaries under such contract if—
(i)
such organization possesses all of the incidents of ownership under such contract,
(ii)
such organization is entitled to all the payments under such contract, and
(iii)
the timing and amount of payments under such contract are substantially the same as the timing and amount of payments to each such person under such obligation (as such obligation is in effect at the time of such transfer).
(E)
Exception for certain contracts held by charitable remainder trusts
A person shall not be treated for purposes of subparagraph (B) as an indirect beneficiary under any life insurance, annuity, or endowment contract held by a charitable remainder annuity trust or a charitable remainder unitrust (as defined in section 664(d)) solely by reason of being entitled to any payment referred to in paragraph (1)(A) or (2)(A) of section 664(d) if—
(i)
such trust possesses all of the incidents of ownership under such contract, and
(ii)
such trust is entitled to all the payments under such contract.
(F)
Excise tax on premiums paid
(ii)
Payments by other persons
(iii)
Reporting
Any organization on which tax is imposed by clause (i) with respect to any premium shall file an annual return which includes—
(I)
the amount of such premiums paid during the year and the name and TIN of each beneficiary under the contract to which the premium relates, and
(II)
such other information as the Secretary may require.
The penalties applicable to returns required under section 6033 shall apply to returns required under this clause. Returns required under this clause shall be furnished at such time and in such manner as the Secretary shall by forms or regulations require.
(iv)
Certain rules to apply
(G)
Special rule where State requires specification of charitable gift annuitant in contract
In the case of an obligation to pay a charitable gift annuity referred to in subparagraph (D) which is entered into under the laws of a State which requires, in order for the charitable gift annuity to be exempt from insurance regulation by such State, that each beneficiary under the charitable gift annuity be named as a beneficiary under an annuity contract issued by an insurance company authorized to transact business in such State, the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (D) shall be treated as met if—
(i)
such State law requirement was in effect on February 8, 1999,
(ii)
each such beneficiary under the charitable gift annuity is a bona fide resident of such State at the time the obligation to pay a charitable gift annuity is entered into, and
(iii)
the only persons entitled to payments under such contract are persons entitled to payments as beneficiaries under such obligation on the date such obligation is entered into.
(11)
Qualified appraisal and other documentation for certain contributions
(A)
In general
(ii)
Exceptions
(I)
Readily valued property
(II)
Reasonable cause
(B)
Property description for contributions of more than $500
(D)
Substantiation for contributions of more than $500,000
(E)
Qualified appraisal and appraiser
For purposes of this paragraph—
(i)
Qualified appraisal
The term “qualified appraisal” means, with respect to any property, an appraisal of such property which—
(I)
is treated for purposes of this paragraph as a qualified appraisal under regulations or other guidance prescribed by the Secretary, and
(II)
is conducted by a qualified appraiser in accordance with generally accepted appraisal standards and any regulations or other guidance prescribed under subclause (I).
(ii)
Qualified appraiser
Except as provided in clause (iii), the term “qualified appraiser” means an individual who—
(I)
has earned an appraisal designation from a recognized professional appraiser organization or has otherwise met minimum education and experience requirements set forth in regulations prescribed by the Secretary,
(II)
regularly performs appraisals for which the individual receives compensation, and
(III)
meets such other requirements as may be prescribed by the Secretary in regulations or other guidance.
(iii)
Specific appraisals
An individual shall not be treated as a qualified appraiser with respect to any specific appraisal unless—
(I)
the individual demonstrates verifiable education and experience in valuing the type of property subject to the appraisal, and
(II)
the individual has not been prohibited from practicing before the Internal Revenue Service by the Secretary under section 330(c)
2
See References in Text note below.
of title 31, United States Code, at any time during the 3-year period ending on the date of the appraisal.
(F)
Aggregation of similar items of property
(G)
Special rule for pass-thru entities
(12)
Contributions of used motor vehicles, boats, and airplanes
(A)
In general
In the case of a contribution of a qualified vehicle the claimed value of which exceeds $500—
(i)
paragraph (8) shall not apply and no deduction shall be allowed under subsection (a) for such contribution unless the taxpayer substantiates the contribution by a contemporaneous written acknowledgement of the contribution by the donee organization that meets the requirements of subparagraph (B) and includes the acknowledgement with the taxpayer’s return of tax which includes the deduction, and
(ii)
if the organization sells the vehicle without any significant intervening use or material improvement of such vehicle by the organization, the amount of the deduction allowed under subsection (a) shall not exceed the gross proceeds received from such sale.
(B)
Content of acknowledgement
An acknowledgement meets the requirements of this subparagraph if it includes the following information:
(i)
The name and taxpayer identification number of the donor.
(ii)
The vehicle identification number or similar number.
(iii)
In the case of a qualified vehicle to which subparagraph (A)(ii) applies—
(I)
a certification that the vehicle was sold in an arm’s length transaction between unrelated parties,
(II)
the gross proceeds from the sale, and
(III)
a statement that the deductible amount may not exceed the amount of such gross proceeds.
(iv)
In the case of a qualified vehicle to which subparagraph (A)(ii) does not apply—
(I)
a certification of the intended use or material improvement of the vehicle and the intended duration of such use, and
(II)
a certification that the vehicle would not be transferred in exchange for money, other property, or services before completion of such use or improvement.
(v)
Whether the donee organization provided any goods or services in consideration, in whole or in part, for the qualified vehicle.
(vi)
A description and good faith estimate of the value of any goods or services referred to in clause (v) or, if such goods or services consist solely of intangible religious benefits (as defined in paragraph (8)(B)), a statement to that effect.
(C)
Contemporaneous
For purposes of subparagraph (A), an acknowledgement shall be considered to be contemporaneous if the donee organization provides it within 30 days of—
(i)
the sale of the qualified vehicle, or
(ii)
in the case of an acknowledgement including a certification described in subparagraph (B)(iv), the contribution of the qualified vehicle.
(D)
Information to Secretary
(E)
Qualified vehicle
For purposes of this paragraph, the term “qualified vehicle” means any—
(i)
motor vehicle manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways,
Such term shall not include any property which is described in section 1221(a)(1).
(F)
Regulations or other guidance
(13)
Contributions of certain interests in buildings located in registered historic districts
(B)
Contribution described
(14)
Reduction for amounts attributable to rehabilitation credit
In the case of any qualified conservation contribution (as defined in subsection (h)), the amount of the deduction allowed under this section shall be reduced by an amount which bears the same ratio to the fair market value of the contribution as—
(A)
the sum of the credits allowed to the taxpayer under section 47 for the 5 preceding taxable years with respect to any building which is a part of such contribution, bears to
(B)
the fair market value of the building on the date of the contribution.
(15)
Special rule for taxidermy property
(B)
Taxidermy property
For purposes of this section, the term “taxidermy property” means any work of art which—
(i)
is the reproduction or preservation of an animal, in whole or in part,
(ii)
is prepared, stuffed, or mounted for purposes of recreating one or more characteristics of such animal, and
(iii)
contains a part of the body of the dead animal.
(16)
Contributions of clothing and household items
(B)
Items of minimal value
(C)
Exception for certain property
(D)
Household items
For purposes of this paragraph—
(ii)
Excluded items
Such term does not include—
(I)
food,
(II)
paintings, antiques, and other objects of art,
(III)
jewelry and gems, and
(IV)
collections.
(E)
Special rule for pass-thru entities
(18)
Contributions to donor advised funds
A deduction otherwise allowed under subsection (a) for any contribution to a donor advised fund (as defined in section 4966(d)(2)) shall only be allowed if—
(A)
the sponsoring organization (as defined in section 4966(d)(1)) with respect to such donor advised fund is not—
(i)
described in paragraph (3), (4), or (5) of subsection (c), or
(ii)
a type III supporting organization (as defined in section 4943(f)(5)(A)) which is not a functionally integrated type III supporting organization (as defined in section 4943(f)(5)(B)), and
(B)
the taxpayer obtains a contemporaneous written acknowledgment (determined under rules similar to the rules of paragraph (8)(C)) from the sponsoring organization (as so defined) of such donor advised fund that such organization has exclusive legal control over the assets contributed.
(19)
Certain qualified conservation contributions
(A)
In general
In the case of a qualified conservation contribution to which this paragraph applies, no deduction shall be allowed under subsection (a) for such contribution unless the partnership making such contribution—
(i)
includes on its return for the taxable year in which the contribution is made a statement that the partnership made such a contribution, and
(ii)
provides such information about the contribution as the Secretary may require.
(B)
Contributions to which this paragraph applies
This paragraph shall apply to any qualified conservation contribution—
(i)
the conservation purpose of which is the preservation of any building which is a certified historic structure (as defined in subsection (h)(4)(C)),
(ii)
which is made by a partnership (whether directly or as a distributive share of a contribution of another partnership), and
(iii)
the amount of which exceeds 2.5 times the sum of each partner’s relevant basis (as defined in subsection (h)(7)) in the partnership making the contribution.
(C)
Application to other pass-through entities
([Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736], [68A Stat. 58]; [Aug. 7, 1956, ch. 1031, § 1], [70 Stat. 1117]; [Pub. L. 85–866, title I], §§ 10(a), 11, 12(a), Sept. 2, 1958, [72 Stat. 1609], 1610; [Pub. L. 86–779, § 7(a)], Sept. 14, 1960, [74 Stat. 1002]; [Pub. L. 87–834, § 13(d)], Oct. 16, 1962, [76 Stat. 1034]; [Pub. L. 87–858, § 2(a)], (b), Oct. 23, 1962, [76 Stat. 1134]; [Pub. L. 88–272, title II], §§ 209(a), (b), (c)(1), (d)(1), (e), 231(b)(1), Feb. 26, 1964, [78 Stat. 43], 45–47, 105; [Pub. L. 89–570, § 1(b)(1)], Sept. 12, 1966, [80 Stat. 762]; [Pub. L. 91–172, title I, § 101(j)(2)], title II, § 201(a)(1), (2)(A), (h)(1), Dec. 30, 1969, [83 Stat. 526], 549, 558, 565; [Pub. L. 94–455, title II, § 205(c)(1)(A)], title X, § 1052(c)(2), title XIII, §§ 1307(c), (d)(1)(B)(i), 1313(b)(1), title XIX, §§ 1901(a)(28), (b)(8)(A), 1906(b)(13)(A), title XXI, §§ 2124(e)(1), 2135(a), Oct. 4, 1976, [90 Stat. 1535], 1648, 1726, 1727, 1730, 1768, 1794, 1834, 1919, 1928; [Pub. L. 95–30, title III, § 309(a)], May 23, 1977, [91 Stat. 154]; [Pub. L. 95–600, title IV], §§ 402(b)(2), 403(c)(1), Nov. 6, 1978, [92 Stat. 2868]; [Pub. L. 96–465, title II, § 2206(e)(2)], Oct. 17, 1980, [94 Stat. 2162]; [Pub. L. 96–541, § 6(a)], (b), Dec. 17, 1980, [94 Stat. 3206]; [Pub. L. 97–34, title I, § 121(a)], title II, §§ 222(a), 263(a), Aug. 13, 1981, [95 Stat. 196], 248, 264; [Pub. L. 97–248, title II, § 286(b)(1)], Sept. 3, 1982, [96 Stat. 570]; [Pub. L. 97–258, § 3(f)(1)], Sept. 13, 1982, [96 Stat. 1064]; [Pub. L. 97–354, § 5(a)(21)], Oct. 19, 1982, [96 Stat. 1694]; [Pub. L. 97–448, title I, § 102(f)(7)], Jan. 12, 1983,