The convenience of online donations makes it simple to give, but also opens the door to criminals hoping to make money using bogus charities. The IRS Newswire recommends using the TEOS to check the legitimacy of any charity you are considering.
From the October, 2023 edition, “Those who wish to make donations should use the Tax-Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool on IRS.gov to help find or verify qualified, legitimate charities.
With the TEOS, people can:
- Verify the legitimacy of a charity
- Check its eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions
- Search for information about an organization’s tax-exempt status and filings”
Sharing your wealth is a great practice, just make sure you are working with reputable groups who are using the money to help those in need.
