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Reduce 2014 taxes and support local nonprofits

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Those who itemize their deductions may find a way to reduce their 2014 tax burden and help a local nonprofit at the same time.

Taxpayers trying to decide where to put their charity dollars before the end of the year may want to consider the saying, “charity begins at home.”

As Ray Cardona at Ramona Senior Center reminds us each year, donations to Meals on Wheels do NOT go to Ramona. Meals on the Go is the charity that supports the Ramona center. Or, one could simply donate to the Ramona Senior Center.

Ramona Town Hall trustees continue work on restoration of the historic building, and the Ramona Branch of the Boys & Girls Club, Ramona Food and Clothes Closet, and Ramona Pioneer Historical Society/Guy B. Woodward Museum are among other local nonprofits.

On the community’s radar this year are the schools. Considering the failure of the school district’s $40 million bond bid last month, two possible homes for tax-deductible donations are directly to the district for repayment of its 2004 loan — also called certificate of participation — and/or Friends of Ramona Unified Schools, a nonprofit working to help fill the gap between students’ health and safety needs and the district’s budget.

If helping to reduce the district loan is the choice, donations may go to Ramona Unified School District, Attn: David Ostermann, 729 Ninth St., Ramona, CA 92065, with a notation that the money go toward paying off the COP.

Donations to FORUS may be mailed to Carmen Bedia, FORUS treasurer, 605 Amigos Road, Ramona, CA 92065. Whether the donation is for repairing leaky roofs or upgrading fire alarm systems, make a notation and that’s where it will go.

These are not the only nonprofits in town. The important thing is to be sure the donations are tax-deductible. Donors may verify an organization’s tax-exempt status and eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions by asking to see the organization’s IRS letter recognizing it as tax-exempt. They may also confirm an organization’s status by calling the IRS toll-free at 1-877-829-5500 or checking online at www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Exempt-Organizations-Select-Check.

Taxpayers making tax-deductible donations must itemize their deductions on the IRS Schedule A form.

The deadline to make donations for 2014 is Dec. 31. Donations charged to a credit card by Dec. 31 are deductible for 2014 even if paid in 2015.

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