10/22/2026
Are you planning a large charitable gift this year?
Do you know exactly what the charity’s receipt needs to say?
Would your paperwork hold up if the IRS asked for it?
A Utah family donated about 13 acres of land to their city. The land was appraised at $665,000, and one co-owner claimed a $339,400 deduction. They had an appraisal, Form 8283, a signed letter calling it a donation, and a recorded deed.
The Tax Court still disallowed the entire deduction.
For any gift of $250 or more, the charity’s written acknowledgment must state whether anything was given in return. None of their documents said the city gave nothing back. The standard deed language made it worse: “$10.00 and other good and valuable consideration” suggests something was exchanged.
The value was never the problem. The paperwork was. A one-paragraph letter from the charity, obtained before filing, would have kept the deduction.
Swipe to slide 7 and save the checklist before your next gift, and share this with anyone planning to donate property.
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