Charitable Donations on Tax Return

[disneyfanatic60]

Last year for the first time in many years, we were not able to itemize deductions (just not enough deductions). This year my daughter is in college so once again we are itemizing over taking the standard deduction.

I thought I read somewhere that you can claim a previous year's charitable deductions not previously itemized. Does anyone know if that is correct? Can I look at our contributions for 2004 and include them on our 2005 deductions? Is this strictly for contributions or are there any other deductions that can be carried over from previous years?

 

[Free4Life11]

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf

That's the publication on charitable contributions. I highly doubt it.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I think what you were probably reading was about the Charitable Contribution carryforward -- there is a maximum percent of your income that you are allowed to deduct in Contributions each year.

If you give more than the limit, you are allowed to carry the excess forward over the next five years.