Victor Roberts <xxx[at]lighting-research.com> wrote:

- quote -

So Form wins out over Substance?

__
Art Kamlet ArtKamlet [at] AOL.com Columbus OH K2PZH

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"Victor Roberts" <xxx[at]lighting-research.com> wrote:

- quote -

What do you do, call Miss Cleo and ask what the suggested
donation is? I can't figure out any other way of knowing.
Oh, maybe it's a sign at the cashier, whom you have to see
to get a ticket.

There's an easy way to see if it's a donation or an admission
charge. Tell the ticket dispenser you'll not be making a
donation. Enjoy your visit, then send them a donation later.

--
Phil Marti
Clarksburg, MD

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"Stuart A. Bronstein" <spamtrap[at]sbcglobal.net> wrote:
- quote -

See for example:

http://evenue.amnh.org/cgi-bin/ncomm...MBR&linkID=msh

The American Museum of Natural History states that becoming
a member gives you unlimited complementary admissions and
that the full membership fee, less an amount designated for
the magazine, is tax deductible. Now I know that the fact
that they say this does not make it legal, but considering
their visibility you would think that the IRS would take
notice if this were incorrect.

The AMNH is one of those that lists their admission fees as
"suggested", which may explain the tax deductibility of
their membership fee, yet I never saw anyone in the ticket
line pay an less than the "suggested" amount.

--
Vic Roberts
Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

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"Phil Marti" <prm20871[at]verizon.net> wrote:
- quote -

So museums which seem to *charge* a fixed admission price
actually print on the ticket "suggested donation," So, in
that case I assume the payment could be taken as a
charitable deduction.

--
Vic Roberts
Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

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joetaxpayer <joetaxpayer[at]nospam.com> wrote:
- quote -

It depends on if you receive anything of value for your
membership. If you do (e.g. the ability to visit a museum
without charge when non- members pay an admission price),
then it's not deductible.

Stu

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Harlan Lunsford wrote:
- quote -

My understanding has always been that a 'membership' was
deductible as a donation, and this has been reinforced by
the acknowledgments I've received stating "no goods or
services were provided for this gift". Even though
memberships then allow for unlimited visits to the
museum/aquarium/etc.

Purchasing individual tickets are different as there's an
immediate quid pro quo of the admission to the building. OP
might have been better off by buying a family membership
instead of the admissions.

JOE

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R. Vaughn wrote:

- quote -

Membership fees are NOT deductible, neither for members or
non members. The old adage applies; "You gets what you pays
for". Value received, in other words.

- quote -

God will get you for that, Dick Adams.

Happy New ChEAr$,
Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA
not a Bud man, but a Cubs FAN!

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"R. Vaughn" <wjm1[at]yahoo.com> wrote:

- quote -

If you could have walked in for free and chose to donate $20
a head, it's a deductible contribution. If they charge you
$20 admission, you have received $20 in services in exchange
for your payment, and there's no deduction.

--
Phil Marti
Clarksburg, MD

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"R. Vaughn" <wjm1[at]yahoo.com> wrote

- quote -

Admission to events sponsored in whole or in part by a non-profit
are generally not tax deductible. Now, the only case where part
of your admission may be a tax deduction is when the non-profit
indicates that the ticket is $20, of which $5 is considered a
charitable contribution.

Most non-profits don't do that for admission tickets, but for
things like dinners where out of your $100 "dinner" there is a
$30 dinner cost and a $70 contribution.

--
Paul A. Thomas, CPA
Athens, Georgia

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Having recently paid $20 per person for admission on a family
outing to the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, I'm now wondering
if the admission cost is tax deductible as a 'charitable
deduction'? The www.moma.org web site states that the museum
is a 'not-for-profit' and that *annual memberships* are
deductible, but does not discuss the tax impact of individual
admissions of non-members. I scanned the IRS Charitable
Deductions publication but didn't find an answer.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Moderator:
The Devil made me write this. Tickets to the Chicago Cubs
(aka the Chicago Chokers) should be tax deductible as
admission to a cemetery (aka The Wrigley Graveyeard).

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