Historical societies serve a role in our society. They preserve the past and make it accessible to individuals through records, newspapers, books, pictures and artifacts. They are particularly beneficial to people who are searching their genealogy. To access much of this information, you either need to be a member of the society or pay a day use fee. In some cases, the cost of your membership may be tax deductible.
Gifts to Charity
One common way to deduct a historical society membership from your taxes is to list it as a charitable contribution. You can ask the historical society if its membership dues are tax deductible, but most of them will mention it on their application or advertising because it is a selling point. You can also call the IRS' Tax Exempt/Government Entities Customer Account Services at 877-829-5500. However, you will not be able to deduct an amount that is greater than the value you receive from the membership.
Disregarded Benefits
In determining what the actual value of the membership is compared to the dues, you can disregard certain membership benefits in the calculation, according to the IRS. This includes free or discounted admission to the facility, free or discounted parking, preferred access to goods and services at the historical society, discounts on goods and services and admission to member-only events where the per-person cost is valued at less than $9.60 (in 2010).
Written Statements
If the historical society membership is tax deductible, the society will be able to provide you with a statement for that purpose. The statement will note the actual value of the membership and how much of the dues are considered tax-deductible. The statement does not need to be filed with your taxes but should be kept with your paperwork for the tax year to prove your deduction. This is not required of the society if the value of the membership was under $75 or the benefits can be disregarded.
Business Expense
You may also be able to deduct the cost of membership as a business expense if it is something that you needed in order to perform your business operations. This deduction is not as common as a charitable contribution, but it is sometimes used by small business owners who have need of the services of the historical society.
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