“Tis better to give than to receive,” the old saying goes. At eSmart Tax, we think it’s even better to give and receive a tax deduction for your charitable contributions.

Time is short – you have to make your donations before the end of the year in order to include the deductions on your 2012 tax return. Also, you must donate to a qualified organization.  Giving money to political organizations and individuals (like your broke college-age kids) doesn’t count.  Use Charity Navigator or a similar site to find deserving nonprofits that serve causes you care about.

eSmart Tax makes it easy to keep track of your eligible charitable tax deductions with our Charity Deductions calculator.  To learn more, visit our Premium Edition page.