Louisianans took nearly 375,000 itemized deductions for charitable giving in 2016, representing some $2.4 billion in donations.
That’s an average of $6,646 in charitable deductions per taxpayer, which places the Bayou State at No. 18 in the nation for such deductions in 2016, according to new ranking from the Tax Foundation.
In 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, just over 37 million U.S. taxpayers took an itemized deduction for charitable giving, deducting a total of $236 billion in charitable contributions for an average of $6,349.
The Tax Foundation notes the figure doesn’t represent the total amount of giving in the United States, just the amount that eligible taxpayers deducted on their income tax returns. With an average of $12,991, Wyoming is ranking No. 1, while Rhode Island is ranked last in the nation with an average of $3,354.
Under the new tax law, the foundation predicts Americans will take fewer charitable contribution deductions.
“What this means for charitable giving overall, however, is less certain,” the foundation says. “Though some households may decrease their giving, others may use new strategies, such as bunching their donations, or maintaining their giving by making multiple years’ worth of donations at once to have enough to itemize.”
Read the full story and see the complete rankings.
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