Are political donations tax deductible?
No. Money given to a candidate, a campaign, a party or a political action committee isn’t a charitable gift, whether or not you itemize.
The rule
Political organizations and candidates aren’t qualified organizations, so nothing given to them is deductible.
The same goes for groups whose purpose is to lobby for changes in the law, and for money you earmark for lobbying, even when it is given to a charity.
Some advocacy groups run a separate charity alongside the lobbying group. A gift to the charity can count if it is a qualified organization; check which one you are paying.
- Without itemizing
- No
- If you itemize
- No
- What to keep
- Nothing for your taxes.
Checked on October 2, 2026 against Publication 526, Charitable Contributions and Topic 506, Charitable contributions. An estimate for your records, not tax advice.
Federal tax only. States set their own rules for gifts.
Keep every gift with its receipt.
From 2026, up to $1,000 of cash gifts counts even without itemizing. Reimburse keeps each gift with the charity’s receipt, asks for the paper the IRS wants, and shows what it puts back.