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Understanding a Charitable Gift Annuity

Understanding a Charitable Gift Annuity

A charitable gift annuity is a contract between a charity and a donor bound by some terms explained below:

The donor makes a considerable gift to the charity via cash, security or other assets. This qualifies you for partial tax deduction alongside a fixed income stream for life.

 

Principle of Charitable Gift Annuity

Large nonprofit firms like Universities do give charitable gift annuities. It involves making a gift to a particular charity, set aside using a reserve account and directed towards investment. Judging by your age and when you gave the gift, there is a fixed payout (monthly or quarterly). When you die (alongside your spouse if you gave us a couple), the charity gets the remainder of such a gift.

A charitable gift annuity can be set up either by individuals or couples in which you are called the “annuitants.” The funds for your annuity might be cash, securities, gifts, etc. The minimum gift value is set at $5000 though it is often larger.

Alongside the income stream, annuitants might qualify for tax deductions of the significant gift based on the deduced value that the charity will get when they made the annuity payment. Some part of the payment you get might be tax-free for some time based on your life expectancy.


What is a Gift Annuity Agreement?

Different from a trust, a gift annuity agreement is a permanent contract between a single nonprofit firm and someone (or couple). The term of the contract determines the rate, timing and amount of payment the annuitants get. 

Discuss with the fundraising department of your selected nonprofit to know if they have charitable gift annuity and the rate. 

Since a gift annuity agreement usually involves a contract with a single party, you have no way to set up one that supports plenty of charities at the same time.

 

Payment for Charitable Gift Annuity 

Donors of charitable gift annuities will be paid for life. Many factors affect the payment size, like your age at the time of setting up the annuity. As a result, younger donors will get more payments, but in bits. Such an amount is fixed without adjustment for inflation. It is a guaranteed investment that will keep on through the donor's life, no matter the performance of the annuity.

 

Taxes 

One might qualify for a partial charitable tax deduction in the year the charitable gift annuity was established. It is a partial deduction because Uncle Sam considers one part of the contribution as a gift that the charity can use immediately for tax deduction purposes. The other part is considered as your investment that generates all your payment. 

You also get another tax benefit which comes by giving appreciated stock (long term), or any property provided the charity doesn’t mind accepting those instead of cash. The donation of non-cash assets makes it possible to entirely get rid of or reduce any capital gains tax that would have been paid if sold first and the proceeds donated. The tax benefit from capital gains is not only for establishing a charitable annuity. It also comes in when you donate long term securities that have been appreciated. 

It is also essential to understand a potential tax disadvantage of a charitable annuity: some portion of your annuity income will be taxed at the federal rate, alongside the state rate also if your state of residence has an income tax. Such rules could be complicated, so you are better off working with a tax professional.

 

Annuity Rates

The rate of charitable annuity differs from one charity to another and depends on many factors like the gift amount and the age when you gave the gift. Since younger donors have a pretty long expectation term, they will have a lower rate.


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