Updated: House Passes Bill To Make Earthquake Relief Donations Tax Deductible This Year

Press Release

If you make a charitable donation to help the relief effort in Haiti, Congressman Glenn Nye (VA-02) thinks you should get a tax deduction this year - on your 2009 taxes - instead of waiting until next year.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill (H.R. 4462), introduced by Nye along with 155 other Members of Congress, to allow taxpayers to claim earthquake-relief charitable deductions on their 2009 tax returns. The donations would have to be made prior to March 1, 2010.

The change would mean that families who make contributions to aid earthquake victims could receive larger tax refunds from the IRS this April.

"One of the greatest strengths of America is that, no matter what challenges we're facing here at home, we will always step forward to aid others in need. Even with the economy struggling, families here in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore are making an extra effort to help the people of Haiti during this crisis," said Congressman Glenn Nye. "Families who make a donation now should get the tax deduction now, not next year."

The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration. A similar tax deduction was passed in 2005 in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami. That bill (H.R. 241 in the 109th Congress) passed the House of Representatives without objection and subsequently passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

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