Making the most of charitable donations

Description

Abstract: Conventional wisdom says that an illiquid taxpayer who wishes to make a charitable contribution is better off donating appreciated assets rather than cash. However, in some cases, it’s preferable to liquidate appreciated assets and donate cash, especially since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act temporarily increased the limit on deductions for cash donations to public charities from 50% to 60% of adjusted gross income (AGI), compared to 30% of AGI for appreciated assets. This article explains the factors that must be considered when making charitable donations.