How to Deduct Tithes and Offerings From Income Taxes

When you give to a church, it is considered a charitable contribution that can be deducted from your taxes. You have to have clear records from your church about the contributions you made. Most churches provide you with this information at the beginning of each year -- the same way you would receive a W-2 form from your job or 1098 form from your mortgage company. You can deduct these donations on Form 1040 Schedule A.

Things You'll Need

• Form 1040 Schedule A

Instructions

1. Become an official member of your church or other religious organization. When you become a member, the church issues you a box of envelopes or slips to submit with your cash, check or money order donation.

2. Pick up your end-of-year statement for tithes and offerings collected from your church secretary when it is available. Most churches will have these prepared for church members by the end of January.

3. Pull up 1040 Schedule A. Scroll down to the section marked "Gifts to Charity."

4. Combine your tithes and offerings totals from your church statement and enter them in on line 16. You can also deduct amounts that you gave to the church or other charitable organizations that are not on your church statement, as long as you have proof. But if any one donation you made by cash or check exceeded $250, the proof must be a written verification from the church.

5. Add your cash donations with your non-cash charitable gifts (line 17) and total everything on line 19. Enter in your other itemized deductions on Schedule A and then total everything on line 29.

6. Bring your itemized deductions over to 1040, line 40. The tithes and offerings you deducted on Schedule A will lower your taxable income and in turn, will reduce the total tax due.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that if you give cash donations in an offering plate without an envelope, it is impossible for the church to track those donations. You can only deduct an offering if you can prove it with a check, credit card statement, or other bank record that clearly shows the charity name and date of contribution.

• You can also deduct mileage you spent driving to and from volunteer activities on Schedule A (14 cents per mile as of 2009).

• If you have no other itemized deductions, your charitable giving would have to exceed the standard deduction to be worth entering on your taxes.

• If your adjusted gross income is over a certain amount ($159,950 in 2009), your total deduction might be limited. You will need to fill out the worksheet on the Schedule A Instructions.

Resources

• Form 1040 Schedule A
• Schedule A Instructions
• Form 1040