The CARES Act, authorizes a $300 “above-the line” charitable tax deduction for individuals who don’t itemize. This will give a slight boost to taxpayers who donate to charity and the charities they donate to. The new law adds the deduction for tax years starting in 2020. For the last couple of years, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, only individuals who itemized could get a deduction for charitable gifts, and far fewer individuals have been itemizing because of the increased standard deduction. The new deduction only applies to cash contributions. The contribution can’t be used to establish a donor-advised fund or maintain an existing one.