Although charitable giving is motivated by more than advantageous tax-planning, your planned gift can offer special benefits to you in your lifetime and the flexibility to create a far more significant legacy than you may have thought possible.
For more information, or to make a planned gift, call the MSO Development Office at 608.257.3734.

The federal estate tax can erode approximately 50% of one's estate; that's far more significant than the income tax. It pays to plan for the future with your attorney or other professional advisors. A charitable bequest to the MSO will save you estate tax dollars and have an enduring impact on the MSO for generations.

A life income gift allows you to transfer cash, stock or other property now while continuing to receive income from the asset. A life income gift can allow you to:

(1) increase your income for life;
(2) receive a generous charitable contribution deduction; and
(3) avoid any capital gains tax on the appreciation, if you contribute appreciated property.

A life income gift is often made through a trust arrangement called a unitrust or an annuity trust.

If you have already considered a provision for the MSO, please note that a life income gift can often be preferable. Such a gift allows you to accomplish your goals during your lifetime.

Gifts of long-term appreciated stock offer two-fold tax savings. First, you avoid paying any capital gains on the increase in value of your stock. In addition, you receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the date of the gift. For income tax purposes the value of such gifts may be deducted up to 30% of adjusted gross income, with an additional five-year carry forward.

If you have owned your own home, a vacation home, acreage or a farm for many years, a charitable gift of that real estate can be especially tax-advantageous.

The property may have so appreciated in value over the years that its sale would result in a sizeable capital gains tax. If given to the Madison Symphony Orchestra instead, you avoid the tax and, at the same time, realize a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the property.

You may also wish to consider a gift of your personal residence or farm, reserving the right to continue to live in the house or farm the property for life (and, if applicable, the lifetime of your spouse). Through such an arrangement, you will be entitled to a current income tax deduction for a portion of the fair market value of the property.

If you own a life insurance policy that is no longer needed, consider it as the perfect vehicle for a charitable gift to the Madison Symphony Orchestra.

To receive a charitable deduction, name the MSO as both the owner and beneficiary of the policy. If the policy has a cash value, you can take a charitable deduction approximately equal to the cash value at the time of the gift. In addition, if annual premiums are still to be made and you continue to pay them, those premiums will be tax-deductible each year. To make this contribution, check with your life insurance agent for the right forms to complete.