IRS Urges Citizens to Seek
Qualified Charities for Katrina Help

WASHINGTON - Citizens seeking to make donations to help Hurricane Katrina victims should seek out qualified charities, the Internal Revenue Service said today.

People who have a specific charity in mind can make sure that it is a qualified charity by searching an IRS-approved list available on the IRS Web site. IRS.gov has an on-line search feature that allows people to find qualified charities. Some organizations, such as churches and governments, may be qualified even though they are not listed.

The IRS does not endorse any charity. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has urged citizens to make cash donations to volunteer agencies with whom it is working. The government’s official Web portal, FirstGov.gov, also contains disaster-relief information.

In addition, the IRS has prepared Publication 3833, Disaster Relief: Providing Assistance Through Charitable Organizations, that may be helpful for people who want to make contributions or who want to form a new charity.

“We encourage citizens to make sure their contributions are put to the best use possible to help Hurricane Katrina victims,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “The IRS will do everything possible to assist both taxpayers and charities in this difficult time.”

The IRS also issued these following reminders to citizens and charities:

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