Slickdeals is community-supported.  We may get paid by brands for deals, including promoted items.
Forum Thread

Do something good, get a potential tax write off, all for free and just a few minutes [Charity Opportunity]

204 264 August 11, 2017 at 11:23 AM
First I understand this just a repost/combination of 3 front page deals. I am trying to reach a larger audience (mainly non pet owners or those with brand specific diets).

The three deals are
https://slickdeals.net/f/10448116-petsmart-free-bag-of-simply-nourish-dry-dog-or-cat-food?v=1

https://slickdeals.net/f/10446084-petsmart-in-store-coupon-bag-of-nutro-cat-dog-food-free-valid-for-petperks-members?v=1

https://slickdeals.net/f/10442088-petsmart-in-store-coupon-bag-of-wellness-cat-dog-food-free-valid-for-petperks-members?v=1

Now this weekend while you are out running errands, doing some shopping, just looking for something to do... If you are going to be near a PetSmart bring the 3 coupns above and you can get 3 bags of food for a local animal shelter or food pantry.

You can make a difference in some animals life for free, and the Fair Market Value (FMV) of these donations would be around $45-$60 depending for next years taxes.

Please make sure to Rep the 3 Original Posters
About the OP
Joined Jun 2009 L3: Novice
264 Reputation Points
51 Deals Posted
173 Votes Submitted
204 Comments Posted

Your comment cannot be blank.

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Joined Jan 2011
L7: Teacher
> bubble2 2,895 Posts
723 Reputation
wsush
08-11-2017 at 11:31 AM.
08-11-2017 at 11:31 AM.
In IRS terms, since you didnt pay for the items, you wouldn't be able to write off the cost? Not that donating is bad but technically giving away items you didnt pay for is at best break even to the irs
Reply
Joined Jan 2007
L5: Journeyman
> bubble2 633 Posts
165 Reputation
mcattack86
08-11-2017 at 11:32 AM.
08-11-2017 at 11:32 AM.
If you got these for free, you shouldn't be writing the donation off on your taxes.
If you're going to do this, do it for the charity and the charity alone
Reply
Joined Jun 2009
L3: Novice
> bubble2 204 Posts
264 Reputation
Original Poster
madtipper743
08-11-2017 at 11:34 AM.
08-11-2017 at 11:34 AM.
"In IRS terms, since you didnt pay for the items, you wouldn't be able to write off the cost? Not that donating is bad but technically giving away items you didnt pay for is at best break even to the irs "

Your wrong but its not worth the time to explain how or why. Just go do a good deed for someone (something) else.
Reply
Last edited by madtipper743 August 11, 2017 at 11:39 AM.
Joined Jun 2009
L3: Novice
> bubble2 204 Posts
264 Reputation
Original Poster
madtipper743
08-11-2017 at 11:35 AM.
08-11-2017 at 11:35 AM.
Quote from mcattack86 :
If you got these for free, you shouldn't be writing the donation off on your taxes.
If you're going to do this, do it for the charity and the charity alone
That exactly what I did (for free). The only reason I mention the tax write off is I hoped it would be enough to lure others in as well.
Reply
Joined May 2005
Moderator since 2008
> bubble2 54,921 Posts
18,869 Reputation
finzz2dlft
08-11-2017 at 10:16 PM.
08-11-2017 at 10:16 PM.
I sign up for every pet freebie I can find, and donate all of them to shelters. There are frequent samples giveaways for them posted in the SD freebies forum.
Reply
Joined Jul 2005
killroy was here
> bubble2 12,166 Posts
1,384 Reputation
dayv
08-12-2017 at 06:10 AM.
08-12-2017 at 06:10 AM.
Quote from madtipper743 :
"In IRS terms, since you didnt pay for the items, you wouldn't be able to write off the cost? Not that donating is bad but technically giving away items you didnt pay for is at best break even to the irs "

Your wrong but its not worth the time to explain how or why. Just go do a good deed for someone (something) else.
*you're
Reply
Joined Jul 2013
Conservative with a gun
> bubble2 3,749 Posts
340 Reputation
Novakingwai
08-12-2017 at 09:31 AM.
08-12-2017 at 09:31 AM.
It's like the retards at my old job that said lottery tickets are a tax write off because you're donating to schools. When I pulled up the IRS site about tax write offs and showed them that buying something with an anticipated gain and then losing is not tax write off eligible, and it even said as an example lottery tickets, they then resorted to "The IRS will never know." Ok, have fun dodging tax audits.
Reply

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Joined Jan 2004
Here's to the future
> bubble2 25,141 Posts
707 Reputation
Iaaaiws
08-12-2017 at 09:57 AM.
08-12-2017 at 09:57 AM.
I don't know why this wouldn't be tax deductible as long as the organization donated to is a registered non-profit. The deduction would be based on the value of the items donated not what you paid for them.

Same as donating anything to Goodwill or similar organizations. The IRS doesn't know what you initially paid for the items and your deduction is equal to the value donated.

But then again I'm no tax expert. Hell, I'm barely a tax amateur. Dontknow
Reply
Joined Jul 2006
Z100
> bubble2 5,708 Posts
6,691 Reputation
Vegan
08-12-2017 at 12:59 PM.
08-12-2017 at 12:59 PM.
When I donate to Goodwilll, if I list the price per item on my taxes, it says "the price someone would pay for that item".
So if you are donating free food, no one will pay for it so I would think you're not supposed to write this stuff off. But I also am no tax expert.
Reply
Joined Jan 2004
Here's to the future
> bubble2 25,141 Posts
707 Reputation
Iaaaiws
08-12-2017 at 03:07 PM.
08-12-2017 at 03:07 PM.
Quote from Vegan :
When I donate to Goodwilll, if I list the price per item on my taxes, it says "the price someone would pay for that item".
So if you are donating free food, no one will pay for it so I would think you're not supposed to write this stuff off. But I also am no tax expert.
The price someone "would pay" for that item is different than what someone is "going to pay" for that item. If you don't donate it then the shelter would have to pay for it somewhere else. It's about the value of the item. If the IRS was going to be a stickler about something like this then they would ask what you paid for it, not what someone else would pay for it.

Then again I can't argue with the truck driver who deducted the expenses of taking his dog along on deliveries. If someone would try and break into his truck the dog would bark so that would qualify as an alarm system. Wink
Reply
Page 1 of 1
Start the Conversation
 
Link Copied

The link has been copied to the clipboard.