How do we accept donations?

There are four methods through which Murugan Temple accepts donations:

• Cash-Donations - receipt is provided at the temple
• Bank Cheques - receipt is provided at the temple or the check-transaction through your bank is the proof of payment
• Square Payments at Temple (using your credit-cards) - individual receipts and statements^*1 will be provided by temple
• PayPal Payments via Temple Website - individual receipts and statements^*1 will be available at PayPal.com

^*1 For both Square.com and PayPal.com - you will need to login into the respective sites using your personal login-id/email and password. Temple does not provide you with any login-id or password for access to those sites.

Difference between a service and a donation?

When you request a service such as an archana or abishekam, then a service is rendered in return for the payment. According to the IRS^*2, anytime a payment is exchanged for a service in return then those payments are not tax-deductable. The same rule applies, when you purchase food items at the temple kitchen.

^*2 For more information on which items can be deducted (from the IRS - 529 Charitabe Contributions), please visit:

• 529 Publication, see section "Contributions You Can't Deduct"
• IRS Chartitable Contributions Website

How do I determine my deductions?

Please use the recipts for any cash donations you've made or the personal cheques and/or statements from both Square and PayPal to compute the amount that can be catogorized as donations (and not services rendered).

For further information, please contact our temple. Thank you.