Hi,

I made a contribution to a charity in 2011, but due to logistical issues (i ran out of checks and could not wait), I transferred money to my fiancee electronically and she wrote the check.

Am I able to deduct? She is a student whereas I'm working, so it would make no sense for her to just take the deduction herself.

Thanks,
dublin

“Am I able to deduct? She is a student whereas I'm working, so it would make no sense for her to just take the deduction herself.”------>You can NOT; Your fiancée that holds the official receipt or cancelled check can claim it ;for her to claim the deduction would require that you give her the money with no strings attached and she subsequently donated the money. However, donating in someone else's name does not entitle them to the deduction. only the person actually making the donation can take the deduction.

You can take deductions on your federal income taxes for charitable contributions you make. However, there are certain rules you need to follow. Tax cheats will frequently inflate the value of charitable contributions. However, the IRS knows this and keeps a peeled eye. Taxpayers can end up costing themselves more in charges if they do not take care in how they value charitable presents on their tax returns. The following suggestions will help you to avoid an audit. Deducting charitable gifts and avoiding an audit. The IRS is offering a special deductions for elderly taxpayers with individual retirement accounts. Taxpayers older than 70 can transfer up to $100,000 per year to a qualified charity. These special contributions require no itemization and provide no deduction. However, the donation is tax-free and it will lower taxable income.