“We pensioners are constantly celebrating milestone birthdays or anniversaries. Because we’d rather get rid of things than accumulate new junk, and because most people in the world are much worse off than us, I think that donating money to a good cause is a meaningful and appreciative gift. I’ve been wondering for a long time whether I can keep the donation receipt to myself in order to reduce my tax burden, or whether I should give it to the recipient.« Miryam P., via email
I have two questions. First, if you’d rather get rid of things, why not give these away as gifts? Secondly, does the person receiving the gift wish that something should be donated instead of a gift – or do you, as the giver, simply decide for yourself? Additional question: If you decide, do you also decide where the money goes?
Good, but none of that plays a role in answering your question, because it is very clearly outlined: Should you give the donation receipt as a gift or keep it for yourself? First of all, it should be said that you, as the donor, are the only ones who can deduct the donation from your taxes. So the person receiving the gift can’t do anything with it, at least not financially. If you want to let her know how much you donated in her honor, you can do so with a donation or gift certificate, which organizations usually provide because they appreciate and appreciate gift donations . For donations of more than 300 euros, you as the donor will receive a donation receipt, which you can, of course, do without anyone noticing. For donations of less than 300 euros, a bank statement or another accounting document is sufficient for the tax office. Means: For donations under 300 euros, there is no receipt that you could hand over, unless you cut out the line in question from your bank statement, but that would seem very small-minded.
Basically, you can perhaps remember as a rule that there is an error in sentences that contain both a gift and a tax reduction. Gifts should come from the heart and not be used to supplement one’s income. Or: One does what one cannot refrain from doing and is silent about it.