Charitable donations

[katy-kirby]

Why didn't I get more of a return for my charitable donations?

[mesquitebean]

Are you able to itemize deductions on schedule A?  i.e., did you have enough total allowed deductions of all types to exceed your standard deduction?

[katy-kirby]

My deductions totaled $850. If my standard deduction is 6,000 would it have to exceed that?

[jerry2000]

Your total itemized deductions would have to exceed $6,300 before they would provide any tax benefit.

[mesquitebean]

It depends on all of your Schedule A deductions (itemized deductions.)   Your donations by themselves wouldn't have to exceed the standard deduction, but the total of ALL itemized deductions would need to exceed the standard deduction for them to count.  i.e., your allowed medical expenses, taxes, interest, donations, and the 2% miscellaneous deductions would have to total more than the standard deduction for them to start to count.

Medical deductions are further limited.  Only the amount of medical expense over 10% of AGI will count on Schedule A (7.5% for those filers age 65 or older.)

[jerry2000 · Accepted solution]

That is an itemized deduction. Itemized deductions provide no tax benefit until all of them added together are more than your standard deduction.
2016 Standard Deduction
Taxpayer under 65, not claimed as a dependent
$6,300 for Single
$12,600 for Married Filing Jointly, or Qualifying Widow(er) with dependent child
$9,300 for Head of Household
$6,300 for Married Filing Separately
For over 65 or blind, add $1,250 for each instance or add
$1,550 each instance if single and not a surviving spouse.

Once your total itemized donations are more than your standard deduction, each additional dollar of deductions reduces your tax by the dollar times your marginal tax rate. For example, if you are in the 25% marginal tax rate bracket each additional dollar of deductions reduces your tax by a maximum of 25 cents.