U.S. taxpayers who give money to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti can claim the donations on the tax returns they are completing this season, says the Internal Revenue Service.
A special tax relief provision, enacted on Jan. 22, 2010, allows this option to taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 returns, according to the IRS.
Eligible contributions must be in cash, and they can be made by text message, check, credit card or debit card, the IRS adds. The donations must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, and they must be given to the charity after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010.
To get the tax benefit of this option, taxpayers must itemize deductions on Schedule A.
More information is available here
IRS guidance on this is available here
In other Haiti-related news:
- MEDEX Global Group Inc., Baltimore, a company that supplies the travel assistance programs built into some employee benefits packages, says it has helped about 800 travelers and expatriates affected by the 7.0-magnitude Haitian earthquake.
MEDEX notified clients of the event within 17 minutes after the earthquake hit, and company medical and security teams in Baltimore and Houston immediately began planning a response, the firm says.
MEDEX reports that it had 10 aircraft either on stand-by or actively transporting people in and out of Haiti.
Although many clients wanted to get out, others, including news organizations and relief organizations, wanted to get in, and MEDEX moved several clients into Port-au-Prince less than 12 hours after the earthquake struck, MEDEX says.
MEDEX put 7-person team of its own in Haiti to provide on-the-ground assistance, and, with 48 hours after the earthquake struck, the company had moved 94 rescue workers, emergency responders and reporters into Port-au-Prince.
MEDEX began evacuating clients who wanted out of the affected region to safe havens Jan. 15.
The company still is providing food, water and fuel for clients who are traveling in and out of the country, MEDEX says.
The firm notes that it is still looking for some clients.
The firm also is matching employees' donations to relief organizations.
- The Pacific Life Foundation, a foundation affiliated with Pacific Life Insurance Company, Newport Beach, Calif., is giving $100,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
