Reply To: Tzedakah for tuition crisis – NEED DONORS

While you can pay someone elses tuition, it is not a bonafide charity expense and you cannot take the tax deduction (it doesn’t matter if the school gives you a receipt). As an individual giving money to pay someone elses bills is not tax deductible. Even giving money to a 501c3 for the specific benefit of someone is not tax deductible. In order to get a legal tax deduction, you must relinquish any right over the use of the funds for a specific person. You are allowed to restrict the funds by broad categories for a purpose such as to the tuition fund, scholarship fund, building fund, etc.