[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 197 (Thursday, October 12, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 53126-53129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25058]



=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Parts 1 and 602

[TD 8623]
RIN 1545-AS27


Substantiation Requirement for Certain Contributions

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Final and temporary regulations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document contains final regulations that provide guidance 
regarding the substantiation requirements for charitable contributions 
of $250 or more contained in section 170(f)(8) of the Internal Revenue 
Code. The guidance contained in these final regulations will affect 
organizations described in section 170(c) and individuals and entities 
that make payments to those organizations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jefferson K. Fox, 202-622-4930 (not a 
toll-free call).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The collection of information contained in these final regulations 
has been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3504(h)) 
under control number 1545-1431. Responses to this collection of 
information are required to substantiate deductions under section 170 
of the Internal Revenue Code for certain charitable contributions. An 
agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless the collection displays 
a valid control number.
    The estimated burden per recordkeeper varies from 15 minutes to 30 
minutes, depending on individual circumstances, with an estimated 
average of 25 minutes.
    Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate and 
suggestions for reducing this burden should be sent to the Internal 
Revenue Service, Attention: IRS Reports Clearance Officer, PC:FP, 
Washington, DC 20224, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Attn: 
Desk Officer for the Department of the Treasury, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Washington DC 20503.
    Books or records relating to this collection of information must be 


[[Page 53127]]
retained as long as their contents may become material in the 
administration of any internal revenue law. Generally, tax returns and 
tax return information are confidential, as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.

Background

    This document contains amendments to the Income Tax Regulations (26 
CFR part 1) relating to the substantiation requirements under section 
170(f)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Section 170(f)(8) was 
added by section 13172 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
1993, Public Law 103-66 (107 Stat. 455, 1993-3 C.B. 43).
    Temporary regulations (TD 8544) and a notice of proposed rulemaking 
by cross-reference to temporary regulations under section 170(f)(8) 
were published in the Federal Register for May 27, 1994 (59 FR 27458, 
27515). The regulations primarily address the substantiation of 
contributions made by payroll deduction and the substantiation of a 
payment to a donee organization in exchange for goods or services with 
insubstantial value.
    A public hearing was held on November 10, 1994. On March 22, 1995, 
the IRS released Notice 95-15, which was published in 1995-15 I.R.B. 
22, dated April 10, 1995. Notice 95-15 provides transitional relief 
(for 1994) from the substantiation requirement of section 170(f)(8).
    After consideration of the public comments regarding the proposed 
regulations, the regulations are adopted as revised by this Treasury 
decision, and the corresponding temporary regulations are removed.

Explanation of Statutory Provisions

    Section 170 allows a deduction for certain charitable contributions 
to or for the use of an organization described in section 170(c). Under 
section 170(f)(8), taxpayers who claim a deduction for a charitable 
contribution of $250 or more must obtain substantiation of that 
contribution from the donee organization and maintain the 
substantiation in their records. See H.R. Conf. Rep. 213, 103d Cong., 
1st Sess. 565 (1993). Specifically, section 170(f)(8)(A) provides that 
no charitable contribution deduction will be allowed under section 
170(a) for a contribution of $250 or more unless the taxpayer 
substantiates the contribution with a contemporaneous written 
acknowledgment from the donee organization.
    Section 170(f)(8)(B) provides that an acknowledgment meets the 
requirements of section 170(f)(8)(A) if it includes the following 
information: (a) The amount of cash and a description (but not 
necessarily the value) of any property other than cash contributed; (b) 
whether or not the donee organization provided any goods or services in 
consideration for the cash or other property contributed; and (c) a 
description and good faith estimate of the value of any goods or 
services provided by the donee organization in consideration for the 
cash or other property contributed, or if the goods or services consist 
solely of intangible religious benefits, a statement to that effect.
    Under section 170(f)(8)(C), a written acknowledgment is 
contemporaneous, for purposes of section 170(f)(8)(A), if it is 
obtained on or before the earlier of: (a) The date the taxpayer files 
its original return for the taxable year in which the contribution was 
made, or (b) the due date, including extensions, for filing the 
taxpayer's original return for that year.
    Section 170(f)(8)(E) directs the Secretary to prescribe such 
regulations as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes 
of section 170(f)(8), including regulations that may provide that some 
or all of the requirements of section 170(f)(8) do not apply in 
appropriate cases.

Public Comments

Contributions Made by Payroll Deduction

    The proposed regulations permit a taxpayer to substantiate 
contributions made by payroll deduction by a combination of two 
documents: (a) A pay stub, Form W-2, or other document furnished by the 
taxpayer's employer that evidences the amount withheld from the 
taxpayer's wages, and (b) a pledge card or other document prepared by 
the donee organization that states that the donee organization did not 
provide any goods or services as whole or partial consideration for any 
contributions made by payroll deduction.
    Commentators reported that pledge cards are frequently prepared by 
employers at the direction of the donee organization. They suggested 
that the IRS accept pledge cards with the required language if the 
pledge cards are prepared either by the employer or by the donee 
organization. In response to this suggestion, these final regulations 
provide that pledge cards prepared by the donee organization or by 
another party at the donee organization's direction can be used as part 
of the substantiation for a contribution made by payroll deduction.
    Commentators asked whether a Form W-2 that reflects the total 
amount contributed by payroll deduction, but does not separately list 
each contribution of $250 or more, can be used as evidence of the 
amount withheld from the employee's wages to be paid to the donee 
organization. Section 170(f)(8)(B) provides that an acknowledgment must 
reflect the amount of cash and a description of property other than 
cash contributed to the charitable organization. When a taxpayer makes 
multiple contributions to a charitable organization, the statute does 
not require the acknowledgment to list each contribution separately. 
Consequently, an acknowledgment provided for purposes of section 
170(f)(8) may substantiate multiple contributions with a statement of 
the total amount contributed by a taxpayer during the year, rather than 
an itemized list of separate contributions. Therefore, a Form W-2 
reflecting an employee's total annual contribution, without separately 
listing the amount of each contribution, can be used as evidence of the 
amount withheld from the employee's wages. Because the statute does not 
require an itemized acknowledgment, it was unnecessary to clarify the 
proposed regulations to address this concern.
    Commentators also asked whether the donee organization must use any 
particular wording on the pledge card or other document prepared for 
purposes of substantiating a charitable contribution made by payroll 
deduction. Because the IRS and the Treasury Department do not believe 
that any particular wording is required, these final regulations 
clarify that the pledge card or other document is only required to 
include a statement to the effect that no goods or services were 
provided in consideration for the contribution made by the payroll 
deduction.
    Commentators asked for guidance regarding the proper method of 
substantiating lump-sum contributions made by employees through their 
employers other than by payroll withholding. Commentators stated that 
employees occasionally make contributions in the form of checks payable 
to their employer, who then deposits the checks in an employer account 
and sends the donee organization a single check drawn on the employer 
account. When employees' payments are transferred to a donee 
organization in this manner, it is difficult for the organization to 
identify the persons who made contributions, and thus the employees may 
be unable to obtain the requisite substantiation. These difficulties 
can be eliminated if 

[[Page 53128]]
the employees' contribution checks are made payable to the donee 
organization and the employer simply forwards the employees' checks to 
the donee organization. The donee organization can then provide 
substantiation as it would for any individual contribution made by 
check. Therefore, the final regulations have not been modified to 
address this point.

Goods or Services With Insubstantial Value

    The proposed regulations provide that goods or services that have 
insubstantial value under the guidelines provided in Rev. Proc. 90-12 
(1990-1 C.B. 471), and Rev. Proc. 92-49 (1992-1 C.B. 987), and any 
successor documents, are not required to be taken into account for 
purposes of section 170(f)(8). The IRS re-proposed this provision in 
proposed regulations under section 170(f)(8) that were published in the 
Federal Register for August 4, 1995 (60 FR 39896), and it has therefore 
been deleted from these final regulations. Taxpayers may rely on those 
proposed regulations for payments made on or after January 1, 1994.

Additional Comments Addressed in Proposed Regulations Published in the 
Federal Register for August 4, 1995

    Commentators raised a number of other questions about the 
substantiation regulations, including the following: (a) whether, in 
calculating a charitable contribution deduction, a donor can rely on a 
donee organization's estimate of the fair market value of any quid pro 
quo provided to the donor, (b) how certain types of benefits provided 
to a donor are to be valued, (c) how the fair market value of goods or 
services sold at a charity auction can be established, (d) how goods or 
services are to be treated when provided to a donor who has no 
expectation of receiving a quid pro quo, (e) how unreimbursed out-of-
pocket expenses incurred by a taxpayer incident to the rendition of 
services to a donee organization can be substantiated, and (f) how 
certain transfers to a charitable remainder trust can be substantiated. 
The proposed regulations published August 4, 1995, address these 
questions, as explained in the preamble to those proposed regulations.

Special Analyses

    It has been determined that this Treasury decision is not a 
significant regulatory action as defined in EO 12866. Therefore, a 
regulatory assessment is not required. It has also been determined that 
section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) 
and the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6) do not apply to 
these regulations, and, therefore, a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is 
not required. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Internal Revenue Code, 
the notice of proposed rulemaking preceding these regulations was 
submitted to the Small Business Administration for comment on its 
impact on small business.

    Drafting Information: The principal authors of these regulations 
are Jefferson K. Fox, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel (Income 
Tax & Accounting), IRS, and Joel S. Rutstein and Rosemary DeLeone, 
who are formerly of that office. However, other personnel from the 
IRS and Treasury Department participated in their development.

List of Subjects

26 CFR Part 1

    Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

26 CFR Part 602

    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Amendments to the Regulations

    Accordingly, 26 CFR parts 1 and 602 are amended as follows:

PART 1--INCOME TAXES

    Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 1 is amended by 
removing the entry for 1.170A-13T and the general authority continues 
to read as follows:

    Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805. * * *

    Par. 2. In Sec. 1.170A-13, paragraph (e) is added and reserved and 
paragraph (f) is added to read as follows:


Sec. 1.170A-13  Recordkeeping and return requirements for deductions 
for charitable contributions.

* * * * *
    (e) [Reserved]
    (f) Substantiation of charitable contributions of $250 or more.
    (1) through (10) [Reserved]
    (11) Contributions made by payroll deduction--(i) Form of 
substantiation. A contribution made by means of withholding from a 
taxpayer's wages and payment by the taxpayer's employer to a donee 
organization may be substantiated, for purposes of section 170(f)(8), 
by both--
    (A) A pay stub, Form W-2, or other document furnished by the 
employer that sets forth the amount withheld by the employer for the 
purpose of payment to a donee organization; and
    (B) A pledge card or other document prepared by or at the direction 
of the donee organization that includes a statement to the effect that 
the organization does not provide goods or services in whole or partial 
consideration for any contributions made to the organization by payroll 
deduction.
    (ii) Application of $250 threshold. For the purpose of applying the 
$250 threshold provided in section 170(f)(8)(A) to contributions made 
by the means described in paragraph (f)(11)(i) of this section, the 
amount withheld from each payment of wages to a taxpayer is treated as 
a separate contribution.
    (12) Distributing organizations as donees. An organization 
described in section 170(c), or an organization described in 5 CFR 
950.105 (a Principal Combined Fund Organization for purposes of the 
Combined Federal Campaign) and acting in that capacity, that receives a 
payment made as a contribution is treated as a donee organization 
solely for purposes of section 170(f)(8), even if the organization 
(pursuant to the donor's instructions or otherwise) distributes the 
amount received to one or more organizations described in section 
170(c). This paragraph (f)(12) does not apply, however, to a case in 
which the distributee organization provides goods or services as part 
of a transaction structured with a view to avoid taking the goods or 
services into account in determining the amount of the deduction to 
which the donor is entitled under section 170.
    (13) through (15) [Reserved]
    (16) Effective date. Paragraphs (f) (11) and (12) of this section 
apply to contributions made on or after January 1, 1994.


Sec. 1.170A-13T  [Removed]

    Par. 3. Section 1.170A-13T is removed.

PART 602--OMB CONTROL NUMBERS UNDER THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

    Par. 4. The authority citation for part 602 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805.


Sec. 602.101  [Amended]

    Par. 5. In Sec. 602.101, paragraph (c) is amended by removing the 
entry for 1.170A-13T from the table and revising the entry for 1.170A-
13 to read as follows:


[[Page 53129]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Current OMB 
   CFR part or section where identified and described       control No. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        
                  *        *        *        *        *                 
1.170A-13...............................................       1545-0074
                                                               1545-0754
                                                               1545-0908
                                                               1545-1431
                                                                        
                  *        *        *        *        *                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: September 22, 1995.
Margaret Milner Richardson,
Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
    Approved:
Leslie Samuels,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
[FR Doc. 95-25058 Filed 10-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830-01-U