Unfortunately, this is a follow-up piece to some advice I shared in the spring — March to be exact.
When tornadoes ravaged Lee County, Alabama, the country rushed to its aid. Although nature is beautiful in various forms, it’s also equally unpredictable. And that unpredictability sometimes leads to loss of life and communities.
If you’ve turned on the news anytime in the last couple weeks, you’ve watched Hurricane Dorian sweep through the Bahamas, up along the east coast and even reach Canada.
A reported 70,000 residents in the Bahamas are now searching for what to do next — for their families and communities.
Before I get to how you can help their community, please know that if you, or any friend or family member, are ever personally affected by a natural disaster, I will be here to walk you through pertinent tax questions related to your losses. There is a great IRS resource page which helps walk victims through tax-related issues following natural disasters.
Tuck this info away for a day I hope never comes.
And one last thing: On Monday, September 16th, estimated taxes for the third quarter are due. Plan accordingly.
How Colorado Springs Residents Can Donate for Dorian Relief
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan
In the spring, I was struck by how different my daily existence was, from the devastation wrought in the disaster zones. The same is true here … and almost every time news of this sort hits the wires.
I must confess to feeling some “disaster fatigue” setting in.
It seems that the world keeps spawning disaster after disaster…
But that doesn’t mean we can turn away.
It’s good to keep your mind clear from the political and cultural “battles” of our day so that we can focus on the things that really matter.
And things like THIS really do matter. In fact, it’s a good practice to consider donating towards disaster relief causes each and every time — however small the amount — simply for the sake of your own soul, and what it signals to yourself about the “hold” that your bank accounts might have upon your heart. We truly do live in a world of abundance.
And that is especially obvious in contrast to those whose worlds have been most recently wrecked.
So, if you donate to Dorian relief using this link to the Red Cross, your contribution will go towards hurricane relief and help communities across the Bahamas who are rebuilding from rubble. Our Colorado Springs community can be a part of helping those in need across the world with a few clicks.
An even easier option? Text the word “DORIAN” to this number: 90999. You’ll automatically donate $10 to relief efforts, and the charge will simply show up on your phone bill.
Or if you want to donate a little closer to home, The National Association of the Bahamas will help provide food and shelter for hurting victims.
It’s hard to fathom how many animals were affected by the hurricane, but donating to the Humane Society will assist (foreign and domestic) efforts to aid animals unfortunately caught in Dorian’s path.
When you donate, are those contributions tax-deductible? Yes. But more importantly, when debating over a gift to these organizations, know the day may come where you or someone you know is affected by a natural disaster. When it’s humanity versus nature, other problems fade to the background when we realize we’re all in this together.
If you have any questions about the tax ramifications following a natural disaster, please give me a call so I can walk you through the options available.
I’m on your side. Now go let hundreds of strangers know you’re on theirs.
Warmly,
Susan Wilklow
(719) 260-0320
Wilklow & Associates, CPA PC