There are several details that the IRS requires you to include: The name of your donor. The full legal name of your organization. A declaration of your organization's tax-exempt status. Your organization's employer identification number. The date the gift was received. A description of the gift and the amount received.
Charitable contributions or donations can help taxpayers to lower their taxable income via a tax deduction. To claim a tax-deductible donation, you must itemize on your taxes. The amount of charitable donations you can deduct may range from 20% to 60% of your AGI.
Technically, if you do not have these records, the IRS can disallow your deduction. Practically, IRS auditors may allow some reconstruction of these expenses if it seems reasonable.
Legal requirements: The IRS requires donation receipts in certain situations. Failure to send a receipt can result in a penalty of $10 per contribution, up to $5,000 for each specific campaign.
However, you should be able to provide a bank record (bank statement, credit card statement, canceled check or a payroll deduction record) to claim the tax deduction. Written records, like check registers or personal notations, from the donor aren't enough proof. The records should show the: Organization's name.
Again, the IRS requires that a tax-exempt organization send a formal acknowledgment letter for any donation that is more than $250. The donor will use this letter as proof of his or her donation to claim a tax deduction.