As you prepare your 2009 tax returns you may want to double check your charitable donations to make sure they count.
Mary wrote to use asking if money from special tags count toward tax write-offs.
Arlene Trice spends the first part of her year calculating taxes.
"Most of our clients come in, they have tithes and offerings, a lot of people give to goodwill," said Trice.
She likes her clients to have everything mapped out and documented when it come to those charitable donations.
"Because the internal revenue is strict," said Trice.
If you plan to claim a charitable contribution on your taxes Mark Green, with the Internal Revenue Service, says you have to itemize your return instead of taking a standard deduction.
You also need to make sure you've given to a group with a 501(c)(3) tax exemption. You should request, or hold on to the receipts you receive for money or items you donate, and if you write a check, it should be made out to an organization, not an individual.
In the case of license plates, Green says the extra money you pay for a specialty tag can count as a charitable donation if the money goes to a group with 501(c)(3) status like the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation tag. Georgia's Department of Natural Resources says it has the exempt status as well, allowing you to write off wildlife plates featuring the eagle, hummingbird and bobwhite quail.
Green says deduction limits do exist based on you income, if you file as a joint or single return and the number of deductions you're looking to claim.
"In most cases most taxpayers can take the deductions without any problem, but it's still good to educate yourself," said Green.
"That's why I says do your research, make sure that the organization is definitely one that the internal revenue recognizes as a charitable write-off," added Trice.
For more information on charitable donations and deduction limits visit the IRS website, www.irs.gov.