Haitian Earthquake Relief Giving Incentives

In response to the Haitian earthquake, Congress passed legislation (HR 4462) to encourage charitable giving to support international relief efforts. Donors who make charitable contributions to provide relief to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti may claim the deduction on their 2009 tax returns if the donations are made before March 1.

Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) also introduced a bill (S 2937) to suspend charitable giving limitations on deductions taken for Haiti relief in 2010, but no action has been taken on the measure.

In addition, the IRS designated the earthquake in Haiti a “qualified disaster” for federal tax purposes. This allows company foundations to make qualified disaster payments to assist employees impacted by the earthquake. See the IRS website for more information.

Other Efforts to Provide Relief
Learn more about how you can help the people of Haiti recover from this tragedy.

Last updated: February 1, 2010