Noncompliance Isn’t an Option

The substantiation rules for the charitable deduction are detailed and essentially unforgiving. While “substantial compliance”¹ might be argued successfully as a last resort, it comes at the cost of time as well as legal and accounting fees. Given the unpredictability of prevailing against an Internal Revenue Service challenge with a substantial compliance argument, the best practice is total compliance. Professional advisors are at risk for malpractice lawsuits due to