Michael F. Stemper <mstemper@gmail.com> wrote:

If a taxpayer makes a donation in excess of $50.00 to a 501(c)(3) >organization, it's my understanding that the organization is supposed
to document that donation in the following calendar year, by sending
a receipt to the taxpayer.

What specific regulation or law is that? I've spent some time looking,
but my searches have come up empty. Can anybody provide me with a
pointer to the relevant IRS page?

In addition, the charity is substantiating that the donor received no
goods nor services in exchange and the entire amount is deductible.

When I write a thank you letter on behalf of a charity, I use this key
language suggested by Publication 1771:

Thank you very much for your generous contribution of $____, for
which no goods nor services were received in exchange. This will
help to [portion of mission statement], a cause that you believe in.

Please save this letter with your tax records. This letter
provides written acknowledgement to substantiate a charitable
contribution on your tax return.

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From IRS Pub 1771 page 2 https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf:

Written Acknowledgment

Requirement

A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization. An organization that does not acknowledge a
contribution incurs no penalty; but, without a written acknowledgment, the donor cannot claim the tax deduction.

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<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
<< The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >>
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On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 3:37:48 PM UTC-7, Maria Ku wrote:

From IRS Pub 1771 page 2 https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf:

Written Acknowledgment

Requirement

A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization. An organization that does not acknowledge a

contribution incurs no penalty; but, without a written acknowledgment, the donor cannot claim the tax deduction.

While there might not be an IRS penalty for not acknowledging a contribution, as a practical matter it behooves charities to provide the written documentation
if they hope to get repeat contributions.

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<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
<< The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >>
<< nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >>
<< that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >>
<< >>
<< The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >>
<< to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >>
<< are at www.asktax.org. >>
<< Copyright (2011) - All rights reserved. >>
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