Haiyan aid donations now offer tax breaks

Taxpayers who donate to Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts before midnight April 15 — the deadline to file federal tax returns — can claim deductions on their 2013 tax return forms, thanks to a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono.

The Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act, signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday, provides taxpayers with expedited tax relief for giving to Haiyan recovery efforts, Hirono's office said Wednesday in a news release.

The bill, introduced in December, is Hirono's first to become law.

"The world watched in horror as Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines and left more than 6,000 people dead, 27,000 injured and 4 million displaced," she said in the release. "While nations and individuals around the world sent their support and millions of dollars in aid following the tragedy, many communities in the Philippines are still struggling to recover."

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