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Charitable Giving Tax Credit: Use It to Your Advantage

Gene Kirzhner April 14, 2017

Everyone wants their taxes to come out in their favor as strongly as possible. Filing taxes brings stress out of the strongest people, but the process can work in your favor. Plenty of options exists for each tax-related process, including many unknown to most people. Understanding different options place you ahead of the game. For example, a charitable giving tax credit remains a possibility if you donate to the right charity at the right time. The process is complicated, but the rewards are plentiful. Using the system to your advantage to receive a charitable giving tax credit places you ahead of most regarding taxes.

While it may seem contradictory to give money to get money, the process works in your favor that way. However complicated it may look, working with a Charitable Giving Attorney will ensure you understand the law to the best of your ability, and work with someone who will be able to use the law to the best of their ability in helping you get the most amount of money in the long run. Rather than attempting to navigate the process alone, hiring an Attorney to walk you through the steps is key. After that, the process comes down to working with that Attorney on how to work the system to your advantage.

How to Use the Charitable Giving Tax Credit to Your Advantage

Understand the Different Types of Bequests

Bequests aid you in earning charitable giving tax credits. While many do not know the ins and outs of Bequests, Charitable Giving Attorneys are well versed in them. After hiring an Attorney, the best course of action is to look through the different types of bequests.

The first type of bequest is a specific bequest. For a specific bequest, you are designating a set amount of money to go to a particular charity. This process is straightforward and leaves little wiggle room for the law, so you know your money is going to the right place.

Another type of bequest is a residual bequest. In the case of a residual bequest, you are taking the leftover money from the remainder of your estate and transferring it to a charity. Rather than setting an amount, in this scenario. you are allowing the value to depend on how much is leftover in the end. This ensures that the proper sum of money goes to all parties before you begin giving to charities.

The last type of bequest is a contingency bequest. A contingency bequest covers if someone you meant to give part of your estate to passes away before you. Rather than that money being uncovered, it gives that money to the charity of your choosing. It’s important to work with your Attorney on this one, as it is the easiest to get lost in the system. However, it remains successful, as in the long run people wish to see estates go to the right people and places.

Understand the Impact of Your Decisions

In the case of bequests, understanding that the money lost turns into money gained is key. You may not see the money right away, but as you age your contributions turn into your receiving money back. Charitable donations are appreciated by the government, and you earn money accordingly. For example, you may find that charitable donations lead to some exemption from income taxes. Or perhaps you can reduce your capital gains tax based on your contributions to a respective charity. Regardless, giving leads to getting in the case of taxes. Thus, when you hand over part of your estate to a charity, you are also making sure that money comes back into your pockets or your beneficiaries pockets. It’s not simply giving for the sake of giving, though that is a noble cause. You are also getting as well.

Gifting of Life Insurance

The gifting of life insurance is another great way to earn the charitable giving tax credit. Life Insurance is gaining steam as a popular gift, as it puts your beneficiaries in far better position, while earning you credits as well. Say you are donating to a charitable organization or center. One way to use this charitable giving tax credit to your advantage is to name that organization or center as a beneficiary. Next, you are eligible for a deduction of the cash surrender value of that policy. Also, life insurance can be used to replace other assets you were previously going to donate. Life Insurance can replace other valuable commodities, allowing your children or beneficiaries more commodities for themselves, while also earning the credits by giving the organization or center something to work with.

When looking to earn charitable giving tax credit, life insurance is one of the most effective things to give. It benefits you, the organization, and your beneficiary. In the long run, that’s all anyone wishes to see.