Congress Passes Haiti Aid Bill
Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate joined an effort to quickly pass legislation that allows U.S. taxpayers to deduct their Haiti aid donations on their 2009 income tax returns.
To make a text-based donation to Haiti relief efforts, mobile phone users can can text the word "Haiti" to 90999 to instantly send a ten dollar donation to the Red Cross. The donation is automatically added to the user's billing statement and most major mobile service providers have waived text messaging fees for those making these donations.
Although the tax season is already officially underway, most taxpayers do not file until the months of March and April. Padar notes that taxpayers who may have already filed or who remain unaware of the special treatment will still be able to claim the charitable giving on their 2010 returns or, if desired, will be able to file an amended 2009 return.
