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GIVING UNDER THE WIRE

December 23, 2004

In this season of giving, many taxpayers like to give in ways that help beyond their family circle. The tax law encourages this, so gifts to charity now can partially come back to you in April in the form of lower taxes.

If you want to deduct your gifts on your 2004 returns, some things to keep in mind:

-If you give by check, make sure that you have the checks in the mail postmarked no later than December 31, 2004.

- If you give appreciated stock to charity, make sure it gets into the charity's brokerage account by December 31. Many smaller charities tend tend to neglect this.

- If you donate by credit card in 2004, you can deduct the donation in 2004, even if you don't pay off your credit card bill until 2004.

Many worthy charities take credit card donations online. Here are links to some popular charity donation pages.

HELPING OTHERS

Salvation Army
Hospice of Central Iowa

BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL

University of Iowa
Iowa State University
University of Northern Iowa
Drake University
Cornell College
Southern Illinois University

SUPPORT THE TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES

USO
Spirit of America
National Military Family Association

Want to make sure your intended charity is legitimate? You can look up a charity on the IRS Website, or you can look at its tax return at Guidestar.org.

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