ColeenD3
Expert Alumni

Deductions & credits

You can't donate the use of something.

 

Partial Interest in Property

Generally, you can't deduct a charitable contri­bution of less than your entire interest in prop­erty.

Right to use property.

A contribution of the right to use property is a contribution of less than your entire interest in that property and isn't deductible.

Example 1.

You own a 10­ story office building and donate rent­ free use of the top floor to a charitable organization. Because you still own the building, you have contributed a partial interest in the property and can't take a deduction for the contribution.

Example 2.

Mandy White owns a vacation home at the beach that she sometimes rents to others. For a fund­-raising auction at her church, she donated the right to use the vacation home for 1 week. At the auction, the church received and accepted a bid from Lauren Green equal to the fair rental value of the home for 1 week.

Mandy can't claim a deduction because of the partial interest rule. Lauren can't claim a deduc­tion either, because she received a benefit equal to the amount of her payment.

 

Pub 526

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