How to Deduct Donations to New Jersey Food Banks: Taxes for 2021

NEW JERSEY — If you’re one of the many people in New Jersey who advocate a standard deduction rather than itemizing your tax return, and most do, feed through Patch’s annual food drive. If you’re thinking of donating to America, here’s some good news.

If you plan to claim a standard deduction on your 2021 tax return, you can actually deduct up to $600 in donations to charities like Feeding America if you donate by December 31st. These deductions are possible thanks to charities. Give deductions approved by Congress in response to the pandemic.

Nationwide, more than 38 million Americans, including 12 million children, are considered food insecure, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By 2021, he could starve as many as 42 million Americans, according to Feeding America.

To put it in perspective, according to the latest USDA report on food insecurity at home, nearly 35 million people in the United States suffered from hunger in 2019. Households with children are most vulnerable to food insecurity. Before the pandemic, more than 10 million children lived in food-insecure households.

Hunger in America is closer than you think today. In fact, New Jersey is one of the places he will be severely affected by hunger in 2021.

Before the pandemic, New Jersey’s 762,530 residents were considered food insecure, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. That number has swelled to over 786,000 and is on the brink of starvation.

In 2020, $300 was approved for charitable donation deductions under the CARES — Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security — Act. However, this year there will be more charitable deductions for those filing joint returns.

In 2020, charitable contributions were capped at $300 per “tax unit”. In other words, those who were married and filed jointly were only entitled to a $300 deduction. For the 2021 tax year, married couples who file jointly may each receive a $300 deduction for a total of $600.

The change will allow individual taxpayers to claim up to $600 in 2021 “over the line” deductions for cash donations to eligible charities. In other words, this deduction reduces both your gross income and your taxable income, leading to tax savings for the person making the donation. To eligible tax-exempt entities.

According to AARP, citing information from the Tax Policy Center, just over 87% of all filers claimed the standard deduction in the 2019 tax year (the latest year for which full figures are available).

Other eligible organizations can be found using IRS.gov’s Tax Exempt Organization Search tool to verify that the organization is eligible for tax-deductible donations.

Cash donations include check, credit card, and debit card donations. The IRS reminds anyone who sees a charitable deduction to keep records related to the donation, including receipts and confirmations from the charity, and to keep any canceled checks or credit card receipts. .

The CARES Act also created other provisions to help charities during the pandemic. These include increased charitable donation limits for businesses, individuals who itemize deductions, and businesses that provide food inventory to food banks and other eligible charities. For more information on these and other coronavirus-related tax relief provisions, visit IRS.gov/coronavirus.

The Patch Holiday Food Drive runs through December 31st. For every $1 donated, Feeding America can provide her 10 meals.

Related: 2021 Patch Holiday Food Drive: How to Donate to Feeding America

According to Feeding America, many families experiencing food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs and must rely on food banks and other hunger relief organizations to ensure they have enough food.

Patch and Feeding America will team up in the summer of 2020 to help address America’s growing hunger crisis, connect readers with 200 member food banks, organizations that serve 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, and help their neighbors. provided an easy way to donate money to.

Some of the New Jersey locations that benefit are:

• A community food bank in Hillside, NJ 07205. 908-355-3663; https://cfbnj.org
• Fulfill, 3300 Route 66, Neptune, NJ 07753; 732-918-2600; https://fulfillnj.org/
• Food Bank of South Jersey, 1501 John Tipton Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110; 856-662-4884; www.foodbanksj.org
• Philabundance, 3616 S. Galloway St., Philadelphia, PA 19148; 215-339-0900; www.philabundance.org

This year’s stubborn pandemic, rising food prices, and supply chain issues have combined to increase the urgency of the 2021 patch holiday food drive.

Rising prices in grocery stores make it even worse for those struggling to feed themselves and their families. As supply chain bottlenecks, declining inventories and labor shortages drive up food costs, officials at the country’s 200 food banks, which serve 60,000 local food pantries and meal programs across the country, have increased their pre-pandemic levels. We pay two to three times the cost of

Katie Fitzgerald, CEO of Feeding America, told The Associated Press that she doesn’t know how long food banks will be able to absorb rising costs.

“When food prices rise, it only makes food insecurity worse for those experiencing it,” Fitzgerald said.

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How to support the Patch Holiday Food Drive

Patch partners with Feeding America to raise awareness for millions of Americans facing hunger. Her Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks nationwide, estimates that by 2021, more than 42 million Americans will not be able to eat enough nutritious food due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. doing. This is a patch social good project. Feeding America receives his 100% of donations.