Australia Can Claim An Income Tax Deduction for Certain Donations to Sandy

The Australian government declared Hurricane Sandy a disaster for tax purposes. As a result, Australian taxpayers can claim an income tax deduction for donations they make to the relief effort.  

To get formal endorsement, Australian funds need to apply to the Australian Tax Office. Taxpayers are advised to retain a receipt for their donation.  Notably, the opportunity to deduct is somewhat limited because only certain types of gifts are tax deductible. 

See Mary Swire, Australia Declares Sandy A Disaster for Tax Purposes, USA-Tax-News.com, Nov. 6, 2012. 

Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.