Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR

§ 1.508-2. Disallowance of certain charitable, etc., deductions.

In effect eCFR current as of October 15, 2026

Regulation text, no changes From the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026. The eCFR is an authoritative but unofficial editorial compilation of the Code of Federal Regulations; the official text is the annual CFR on govinfo. Compare it with this section on ecfr.gov (external site) or the official annual CFR on govinfo (external site).

Regulation under 26 U.S.C. § 508

Cite as 26 CFR § 1.508-2

At a glance

Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.

Status: In the current eCFR
Issued: December 22, 1972 by T.D. 7232
Issued under: 26 U.S.C. § 508
Length: 1,720 words · about 7 min to read
Defines: 2 terms
Cross-references: cites 12 Code sections and 5 regulations; cited by 5

¶(a) Gift or bequest to organizations subject to section 507(c) tax—

¶(1) General rule. No gift or bequest made to an organization upon which the tax provided by section 507(c) has been imposed shall be allowed as a deduction under section 170, 545(b)(2), 556(b)(2), 642(c), 2055, 2106(a)(2), or 2522, if such gift or bequest is made:

¶(i) By any person after notification has been made by the organization under section 507(a)(1) or after notification has been made by the Commissioner under section 507(a)(2)(B), or

¶(ii) By a substantial contributor (as defined in section 507(d)(2)) in his taxable year which includes the first day on which action is taken by such organization which culminates in the imposition of tax under section 507(c) and any subsequent taxable year

For purposes of subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph, the first day on which action is taken by an organization which culminates in the imposition of tax under section 507(c) shall be determined under the rules set forth in § 1.507-7(b) (1) and (2).

¶(2) Exception. Subparagraph (1) of this paragraph shall not apply if the entire amount of the unpaid portion of the tax imposed by section 507(c) is abated by the Commissioner under section 507(g).

¶(b) Gift or bequest to taxable private foundation, section 4947 trust, etc.—

¶(1) General rule.

¶(i) Except as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, no gift or bequest made to an organization shall be allowed as a deduction under section 170, 545(b)(2), 556(b)(2), 642(c), 2055, 2106(a)(2), or 2522, if such gift or bequest is made:

(a) To a private foundation or a trust described in section 4947(a)(2) in a taxable year for which it fails to meet the requirements of section 508(e) (determined without regard to section 508(e)(2) (B) and (C), or

(b) To any organization in a period for which it is not treated as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) by reason of section 508(a).

¶(ii) For purposes of subdivision (i)(a) of this subparagraph the term taxable year refers to the taxable year of the donee or beneficiary organization. In the event a bequest is made to a private foundation or trust described in section 4947(a)(2) which is not in existence at the date of the testator's death (but which is created under the terms of the testator's will), the term taxable year shall mean the first taxable year of the private foundation or trust.

¶(iii) For purposes of subdivision (i)(a) of this subparagraph, an organization does not fail to meet the requirements of section 508(e) for a taxable year, unless it fails to meet such requirements for the entire year. Therefore, even if a donee organization fails to meet the requirements of section 508(e) on the date it receives a grant from a donor, the donor's grant will not be disallowed by operation of section 508(d)(2)(A) and subdivision (i)(a) of this subparagraph, if the organization meets the requirements of section 508(e) (determined without regard to section 508(e)(2) (B) or (C)) by the end of its taxable year.

¶(iv) No deduction will be disallowed under section 508(d)(2)(A) with respect to a deduction under section 170, 545(b)(2), 556(b)(2), 642(c), 2055, 2106(a)(2), or 2522 if during the taxable year in question, the private foundation or trust described in section 4947(a)(2) has instituted a judicial proceeding which is necessary to reform its governing instrument or other instrument in order to meet the requirements of section 508(e)(1). This subdivision shall not apply unless within a reasonable time such judicial proceedings succeed in so reforming such instrument.

¶(v) No deduction will be disallowed under section 508(d)(2)(A) and subdivision (i)(a) of this subparagraph for any taxable year beginning before January 1, 1972, with respect to a private foundation or trust described in section 4947 organized before January 1, 1970. See also § 1.508-3(g) regarding transitional rules for extending compliance with section 508(e)(1).

¶(vi)(a) In the case of a contribution or bequest to a trust described in section 4947(a)(2) other than to a trust to which subdivision (vii) of this subparagraph applies, no deduction shall be disallowed by reason of section 508(d)(2)(A) on the grounds that such trust's governing instrument contains no provisions with respect to section 4942. Similarly, if for a taxable year such trust is also a trust described in section 4947(b)(3), no deduction for such year shall be so disallowed on the grounds that the governing instrument contains no provision with respect to section 4943 or 4944.

(b) This subdivision may be illustrated by the following example:

¶Example.

H executes a will on January 1, 1977, establishing a charitable remainder trust (as described in section 664) with income payable to W, his wife, for life, remainder to X university, an organization described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii). The will provides that the trust is prohibited from engaging in activities which would subject itself, its foundation manager or a disqualified person to taxes under section 4941 or 4945 of the Code. The will is silent as to sections 4942, 4943, and 4944. H dies February 12, 1978. Section 508(d)(2)(A) will not operate to disallow any deduction to H's estate under section 2055 with respect to such trust.

¶(vii)(a) In the case of a trust described in section 4947(a)(2) which by its terms will become a trust described in section 4947(a)(1) and the governing instrument of which is executed after March 22, 1973, the governing instrument shall not meet the requirements of section 508(e)(1) if it does not contain provisions to the effect that the trust must comply with the provisions of section 4942, or sections 4942, 4943, and 4944 (as the case may be) to the extent such section or sections shall become applicable to such trust.

(b) This subdivision may be illustrated by the following example:

¶Example.

H executes a will on January 1, 1977, establishing a charitable remainder trust (as described in section 664) with income payable to W, his wife, for life, remainder in trust in perpetuity for the benefit of an organization described in section 170(c). By its terms the trust will become a trust described in section 4947(a)(1), and will become a private foundation. The will provides that the trust is prohibited from engaging in activities which would subject itself, its foundation manager or a disqualified person to taxes under sections 4941 or 4945 of the Code. The will is silent as to sections 4942, 4943, and 4944. H dies February 12, 1978. Unless the trust's governing instrument is amended prior to the end of the trust's first taxable year, or judicial proceedings have been instituted under subdivision (iv) of this subparagraph, section 508(d)(2)(A) will operate to disallow any deduction to H's estate under section 2055 with respect to such trust.

¶(viii) Since a charitable trust described in section 4947(a)(1) is not required to file a notice under section 508(a), section 508(d)(2)(B) and subdivision (i)(b) of this subparagraph are not applicable to such a trust.

¶(2) Transitional rules. Any deduction which would otherwise be allowable under section 642(c)(2), 2106(a)(2), or 2055 shall not be disallowed under section 508(d)(2)(A) if such deduction is attributable to:

¶(i) Property passing under the terms of a will executed on or before October 9, 1969,

(a) If the decedent dies after October 9, 1969, but before October 9, 1972, without having amended any dispositive provision of the will after October 9, 1969, by codicil or otherwise,

(b) If the decedent dies after October 9, 1969, and at no time after that date had the right to change the portions of the will which pertains to the passing of property to, or for the use of, an organization described in section 170(c)(2)(B) or 2055(a), or

(c) If no dispositive provision of the will is amended by the decedent, by codicil or otherwise, before October 9, 1972, and the decedent is on October 9, 1972, and at all times thereafter under a mental disability (as defined in § 1.642(c)-2(b)(3)(ii)) to amend the will by codicil or otherwise, or

¶(ii) Property transferred in trust on or before October 9, 1969,

(a) If the grantor dies after October 9, 1969, but before October 9, 1972, without having amended, after October 9, 1969, any dispositive provision of the instrument governing the disposition of the property,

(b) If the property transferred was an irrevocable interest to, or for the use of, an organization described in section 170(c)(2)(B) or 2055(a),

(c) In the case of a deduction under section 2106(a)(2) or 2055; if no dispositive provision of the instrument governing the disposition of the property is amended by the grantor before October 9, 1972, and the grantor is on October 9, 1972, and at all times thereafter under a mental disability (as defined in § 1.642(c)-2(b)(3)(ii)) to change the disposition of the property, or

(d) In the case of a deduction under section 642(c)(2)(A), if the grantor is at all times after October 9, 1969, and up to, and including, the last day of the taxable year for which the deduction under such section is claimed, under a mental disability (as defined in § 1.642(c)-2(b)(3)(ii)) to change the terms of the trust

See also § 1.508-3(g) regarding the extension of time for compliance with section 508(e), § 1.664-1(f)(3) (ii) and (g) regarding the special transitional rules for charitable remainder annuity and unitrusts described in section 664 which were created prior to December 31, 1972, and § 20.2055-2(e)(4) of this chapter regarding the rules for determining if the dispositive provisions have been amended.

[T.D. 7232, 37 FR 28291, Dec. 22, 1972]

Terms defined here

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taxable year § 1.508-2(b)(1)(ii)
taxable year § 1.508-2(b)(1)(ii)

Cross-references

Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.

Code sections it cites

Regulations it cites

Cited by 5 other regulations

Amendment history

From the source citation at the end of the section, newest first. T.D. is a Treasury decision; FR is the Federal Register.

December 22, 1972Issued by T.D. 7232 (37 FR 28291)

Where it sits in 26 CFR

Nearby sections

§ 1.507-7 Value of assets.
§ 1.507-8 Liability in case of transfers.
§ 1.507-9 Abatement of taxes.
§ 1.508-1 Notices.
§ 1.508-2 Disallowance of certain charitable, etc., deductions.
§ 1.508-3 Governing instruments.
§ 1.508-4 Effective date.
§ 1.509(a)-1 Definition of private foundation.
§ 1.509(a)-2 Exclusion for certain organizations described in section 170(b)(1)(A).