Can I include some minor non-cash contributions in with my larger cash donations to my church?

[bob_poynor]

My wife is involved a church project making quilts for kids undergoing chemo (the rooms are chilly and the chemo doesn't help).  She bought a bunch of fabric for everyone in the project to use, plus some other minor sewing supplies (thread, needles, etc.). The total under $500.  The instructions for non-cash contributions are confusing, trying to assess the value of each item. What's the best way to enter this?  Would it be simpler to just toss it into our larger overall cash contribution, and if challenged, just explain it?   That's the way I'm leaning.  Thanks

[wolhoft · Accepted solution]

Use the Schedule A Line 17 'Noncash Contributions Worksheet' and remove any concern about it being challenged. Of course, retain the receipts.

[bob_poynor]

Sorry, not helpful.  This might work if I'm filling out Schedule A manually.  TurboTax has no option for creating a single, generalized entry that gets me to that Line 17 like you suggest.  It wants me to "fill in a date for each donation"  as if there's a series of donations, and it presents a menu of types of donations, none of which are really close to what we're doing here.  I think a $400+ donation for "bedding" will raise eyebrows at the IRS.

I went round and round on something similar several years back, and gave up trying to account for some donations and just ate the loss.  IMO, this is the biggest weakness in TurboTax.  It tries to be too specific, whereas I could simply make  single entry as suggested above ("noncash contributions"), and keep all the receipts if challenged.