The one other thing to remember is your philanthropic timing. So your donations will count when you file your return in the spring, make sure your charitable gifts are made by Dec. 31 of the previous year.

IRA direct rollover

If you are 70½ or older, in 2011 you were able to have money from your IRA sent directly to a charitable organization. Traditional IRA and Roth account holders could do this, but it was probably more beneficial to traditional IRA account holders, because much of the money in these accounts is eventually taxable. But by having the cash go straight to the charity, it was not counted as taxable income to the IRA owner.

The direct IRA rollover to a charity option expired at the end of 2011. It is unclear if it will be renewed for the 2012 tax year.

The one drawback is that such direct gifts are not deductible by the donor. That, however, might not be that much of a disincentive.

Taxpayers must itemize to claim any charitable deductions. But many older taxpayers, like the majority of filers of all ages, choose to claim the standard deduction instead. In fact, many older taxpayers find the standard amounts even more appealing, because they are larger for filers age 65 or older.

If the IRA donation rollover is continued for tax year 2012 and beyond, standard deduction filers won't miss this potential deduction just because they don't itemize. In fact, some taxpayers might be better off, particularly those who must take required minimum distributions but don't need the money for day-to-day expenses. In these cases, they won't have to pay taxes on the IRA distributions that are directly donated.

It also might be a good strategy, if it is renewed, for individuals who face donation limits based on their income. Generally, you cannot donate an amount that exceeds 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. But when the money goes directly to the charity from the IRA, it doesn't count against that limit because it's not included in the filer's gross income.

'Good' household goods

Many charities are happy to accept used clothing and household goods, and you're allowed to claim the fair market value of those items as a tax deduction. But to make sure that the value was at least somewhat valuable, a law was enacted in 2006 that requires any donated household goods be in good or better condition. The change was designed to solve two problems.

First, some taxpayers were using charitable organizations as dumping grounds for articles that really should have been put in a garbage can instead of a donation bin.

Secondly, the value of these donors' claims on the raggedy goods was much too high, meaning they got a larger tax break than they should have. This is the same issue lawmakers confronted when they tightened rules a couple of years ago on donated cars.

Now the IRS can deny deductions for items that are deemed of "minimal monetary value." When your total amount of donated articles -- or as the IRS calls them, noncash gifts -- exceeds $500, you have to file with your tax return Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, detailing your generosity. Taxpayers still can inflate the used property's value on the form, but with the new guidelines and charitable groups' reminders of it, lawmakers are hoping that individuals will follow the new rules. From the enforcement side, don't be surprised to find tax examiners taking closer looks at this form and asking more follow-up questions than usual about deductible donations.