GoFundMe donations are tax deductible only when the campaign is run by a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Most GoFundMe fundraisers raise money for a specific person or family, and those contributions count as personal gifts under federal tax law, not charitable donations. If you gave to a campaign marked as benefiting a charity, you may be able to write it off; if you gave to help a neighbor with medical bills, you cannot.
How to Tell If a GoFundMe Campaign Qualifies
Federal law allows a charitable deduction only for gifts to qualified organizations, generally those with 501(c)(3) status.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 170 – Charitable, Etc., Contributions and Gifts GoFundMe itself is a for-profit company, so the platform doesn’t confer any tax status on a donation. What matters is who ultimately receives the money.
Nonprofit campaigns on GoFundMe show the charity’s name next to the organizer and carry a “Tax deductible” tag in the United States. Donations to those campaigns are routed through PayPal Giving Fund or GoFundMe Pro and passed to the designated charity, which issues a receipt.2GoFundMe Help Center. Tax Information for Donors If the tag isn’t there, treat the campaign as personal. When you want to be sure, look up the charity by name or EIN on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.3Internal Revenue Service. Search for Tax Exempt Organizations
Why Personal Fundraisers Aren’t Deductible
Campaigns for a person’s medical bills, funeral costs, tuition, or disaster recovery send the money to an individual. Under federal tax law, money given to an individual is a personal gift, not a charitable contribution, no matter how worthy the reason.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 170 – Charitable, Etc., Contributions and Gifts The deduction doesn’t turn on your intent; it turns on the recipient.
Gift tax rules technically apply to personal transfers, but the annual exclusion is $19,000 per recipient for 2026.4Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026, Including Amendments From the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Typical GoFundMe donations sit well below that, so donors owe no gift tax. They also get no deduction.
Claiming the Deduction on Your 2026 Return
If You Take the Standard Deduction
Starting with the 2026 tax year, non-itemizers can deduct up to $1,000 in cash charitable contributions ($2,000 for joint filers) on top of the standard deduction.5Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 506, Charitable Contributions The gift still has to go to a qualified organization, so a GoFundMe donation to a certified nonprofit campaign counts; a donation to a personal campaign does not. A $500 donation to a nonprofit campaign is deductible even if you claim the standard deduction.
If You Itemize
Itemizers report charitable gifts on Schedule A of Form 1040, on the line for cash or check contributions.6Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Schedule A (Form 1040) Itemizing only helps when your total deductions exceed the standard deduction, which for 2026 is $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly.4Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026, Including Amendments From the One, Big, Beautiful Bill
New for 2026, itemized charitable deductions are subject to a floor: only the portion of your total contributions above 0.5% of your adjusted gross income is deductible. If your AGI is $80,000, the first $400 of your giving produces no tax benefit. The floor applies to all your charitable contributions for the year, not just GoFundMe.
Limits, Timing, and Platform Fees
Cash gifts to public charities are capped at 60% of your AGI for the year, with any excess carried forward.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 170 – Charitable, Etc., Contributions and Gifts Most donors never come close to that ceiling.
Timing follows the charge date. A donation put on your credit card on December 31, 2026 is deductible on your 2026 return even if you pay the statement in January.7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526, Charitable Contributions
GoFundMe charges nonprofit charity campaigns 2.2% plus $0.30 per donation, taken out before the charity receives the money.8GoFundMe. Pricing and Fees A $100 gift arrives as roughly $97.50. Your deductible amount is what you actually contributed to or for the use of the charity, so the receipt from the charity may show a smaller figure than the charge on your card. Keep both so you can reconcile if a question comes up.
Records to Keep
For every qualifying donation, save the transaction receipt or confirmation email showing the charity’s name, the date, and the amount. Nonprofit campaigns generate a tax receipt automatically through PayPal Giving Fund or GoFundMe Pro.2GoFundMe Help Center. Tax Information for Donors
Any single donation of $250 or more requires a written acknowledgment from the charity that names the organization, the amount, and whether you got anything in return.9Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Contributions – Written Acknowledgments Have it in hand before you file. The IRS generally has three years from your filing date to review the return, so hold on to the records at least that long.10Internal Revenue Service. Time IRS Can Assess Tax
Donations to Campaigns Outside the United States
GoFundMe operates in many countries, but U.S. tax law does not allow deductions for gifts to foreign charities. Narrow exceptions exist under tax treaties with Canada, Mexico, and Israel, and each requires income from sources in that country. You also can’t route around the rule by giving to a U.S. charity that has earmarked the money for a specific foreign organization.7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526, Charitable Contributions To support an international cause and still deduct, look for a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) that runs its own programs abroad and keeps control over how the funds are used.