Michigan households donate 3% of income to charity

KALAMAZOO (AP) - IRS data show that the average Michigan household donates about 3 percent of its income to charity. The most recent data from the IRS show that Michigan residents who filed tax returns deducted almost $5 billion in charitable contributions in 2014. That number has increased since 2009, even as the number of itemized tax returns declined. Among residents who itemized in 2014, 84 percent deducted charitable contributions. The IRS numbers are the best window into individual giving, but the data are limited to taxpayers who file a Schedule A, which allows them to itemize deductions such as home mortgage interest, state and local taxes, and charitable deductions, MLive reported. About 27 percent of tax returns in Michigan included a Schedule A in 2014. The remainder of Michigan residents who filed taxes took the standard deduction of $6,200 for single filers and $12,400 for married couples filing jointly. The IRS doesn't have information on charitable giving for those tax filers. The data showed that, on average, individuals who itemized had much higher incomes than those who took the standard deduction. The data also showed individuals with an adjusted gross income above $75,000 gave an average of about 3 percent of their adjusted gross income to charity, while itemizers with an adjusted gross income between $10,000 and $25,000 gave 9 percent to charity. However, most charitable donations reported to the IRS came from tax filers with incomes above $100,000. Published: Thu, Dec 22, 2016