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Take a Charitable Cash Deduction Without Taking Itemized Deductions - Learn How.

Updated: Jan 18, 2021

How the CARES Act Changes Deducting Charitable Contributions




Previously, charitable contributions could only be deducted if taxpayers itemized their deductions.

However, taxpayers who don’t itemize deductions may take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made in 2020 to qualifying organizations. For the purposes of this deduction, qualifying organizations are those that are:

  • Religious

  • Charitable

  • Educational

  • Scientific or

  • Literary

The law changed in this area due to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. 

The CARES Act also suspends limits on charitable contributions and temporarily increases limits on contributions of food inventory.


More information about these changes is available on IRS.gov.


Links to help with Charitable Donations:

Tax Exempt Organization Search

Publication 526, Charitable Contributions

Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property

Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions

Schedule A, Itemized Deductions

Frequently asked questions: Qualified charitable distributions

Tax Topic 506, Charitable Contributions

Deducting Charitable Contributions at a Glance

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