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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →For U.S. federal elections, individuals may give directly to a candidate’s committee, subject to the applicable limit. A corporation generally may not use its treasury money for a direct contribution to a federal candidate. Instead, a company may pay to establish and administer a separate segregated fund (SSF), commonly called a corporate PAC, whose contributions follow federal limits and eligibility rules.
A Super PAC is different: it can accept unlimited money, including corporate money, but it cannot contribute to candidates. It can only finance independent expenditures that are not coordinated with a candidate. State and local laws can be materially different, so the federal rules below should not be applied automatically to a governor, state-legislative, mayoral or other nonfederal race.
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The federal routes at a glance
Before asking whether a donation is legal, identify the recipient, the donor, and what the money will do. “PAC” is a broad label, not a single legal category. The table shows the principal federal routes.
| Route | Donor | Recipient | Activity | Federal treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual to candidate | Individual using the individual’s own funds | Candidate’s authorized committee | Contribution to the candidate | Permitted within the limit of $3,500 per candidate, per election for the 2025–2026 cycle; see the Federal Election Commission contribution limits. |
| Corporate treasury to candidate | Corporation, including an incorporated nonprofit | Federal candidate committee | Direct contribution | Prohibited. The candidate committee cannot accept corporate treasury funds. |
| Corporate SSF (traditional corporate PAC) to candidate | The corporation’s separate segregated fund | Candidate’s authorized committee | Contribution to the candidate | Permitted only under the rules and limits that govern the fund. The corporation may pay the SSF’s establishment, administration and solicitation costs. |
| Donor to Super PAC | Individual, corporation, labor organization or another eligible donor | Independent-expenditure-only committee | Independent expenditure, not a candidate contribution | Super PACs may accept unlimited contributions, but they do not make contributions to candidates. |
| Partnership or LLC | Entity and its owners, depending on legal and tax classification | Candidate committee or PAC | Contribution | Classification and ownership determine the treatment. Do not assume every LLC is treated as a corporation or every business entity as an individual. |
These are federal categories. A state may prohibit corporate contributions altogether, set a different limit, or use a different definition of a political committee.
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Can an individual donate directly to a federal candidate?
Yes. The FEC states: “An individual may make contributions to candidates and their authorized committees, subject to limitations.” For the 2025–2026 federal election cycle, the individual limit is $3,500 per candidate, per election. The primary and general election are separate elections for this purpose, although special circumstances can affect how a contribution is designated or handled. The current amount and election-specific rules are listed by the FEC.
What “per election” means
A contribution designated for a primary is measured against the candidate’s primary-election limit; a contribution designated for the general election is measured separately. “Per election” does not mean a calendar-year allowance that can be moved freely among candidates. If a candidate has a runoff, special election or loses a primary, the committee must apply the FEC’s designation and redesignation rules rather than treating every payment as an additional unrestricted allowance.
How to make a direct contribution responsibly
- Identify the office. Confirm that the candidate is running for a federal office such as the U.S. House or Senate. A state or local candidate is governed by that jurisdiction’s rules instead.
- Use the authorized committee. A candidate’s official committee, rather than an unrelated political group, is the recipient of a direct candidate contribution.
- Choose the election designation. Check whether the payment is for the primary, general or another election identified by the committee and FEC rules.
- Use your own funds. Federal law bars a contribution made in the name of another person. An employer, friend or organization cannot reimburse you and have you appear to be the donor.
- Check your eligibility before paying. Foreign nationals and federal government contractors face additional prohibitions described below.
- Keep the receipt and the committee’s confirmation. If the committee later asks to correct a designation or refund an excessive amount, those records show what you intended to give.
The $3,500 figure applies to an individual giving to one federal candidate in one election. It is not a statement of what an individual may give to every political committee, and it does not set state or local limits.
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No, not from the corporation’s treasury. The FEC’s federal guidance says: “Campaigns may not accept contributions from the treasury funds of corporations, labor organizations or national banks.” The rule covers incorporated nonprofit organizations as well as for-profit corporations. A company therefore cannot write a treasury check, make a card payment or send a wire directly to a federal candidate committee as a corporate contribution.
The corporate PAC (separate segregated fund) route
A corporation may establish a separate segregated fund, usually called a corporate PAC. The SSF is the political fund that makes contributions; it is not the corporation’s ordinary treasury account. Federal rules allow the corporation to pay the costs of creating, administering and soliciting for its fund. The fund’s payments to candidates remain subject to the contribution limits, reporting requirements and donor-eligibility rules that apply to the relevant federal committee.
This distinction matters on a contribution form and in the committee’s records. “Paid by the corporation” and “paid by the corporation’s SSF” are not interchangeable descriptions. The first identifies prohibited treasury money for a federal candidate contribution; the second identifies a regulated political fund.
What a company cannot infer from the PAC option
- Creating an SSF does not turn unlimited corporate treasury contributions into candidate contributions.
- A PAC’s existence does not remove the limit that applies to its candidate contributions.
- A corporate PAC and a Super PAC are not the same committee type. Their permitted recipients and activities differ.
- State law may impose a corporate ban or a separate registration and limit system even when the federal SSF route is available.
Are Super PAC donations the same as donations to a candidate?
No. A Super PAC, formally an independent-expenditure-only committee, may accept unlimited contributions, including money from corporations and labor organizations. It may then spend that money on communications or other expenditures that expressly support or oppose a candidate, provided the spending is independent rather than coordinated with the candidate or campaign. It may not transfer a contribution to the candidate’s committee.
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Contribution versus independent expenditure
A contribution is money or something of value given to a candidate, the candidate’s authorized committee or another regulated political committee for its political activity. An independent expenditure is spending that advocates for or against a clearly identified candidate without coordination with that candidate, campaign or party committee. The distinction is about both the recipient and the relationship behind the spending; labeling an ad “independent” does not make coordinated spending independent.
Why the unlimited amount does not mean unlimited access
“Unlimited” describes what an eligible donor may give to the Super PAC under the federal independent-expenditure framework. It does not authorize the Super PAC to give any amount to a candidate. A company could make a large contribution to a Super PAC, while the same company’s treasury still could not make a direct contribution to a federal candidate committee. The Super PAC’s later spending must remain independent.
Traditional PAC and Super PAC: the difference
| Question | Traditional PAC that contributes to candidates | Super PAC (independent-expenditure-only committee) |
|---|---|---|
| May it give money to a candidate’s committee? | Yes, subject to the applicable federal limits and rules. | No. |
| May it make independent expenditures? | It may have independent-expenditure activity, but its candidate-contribution role remains separately regulated. | Yes; that is its defining activity. |
| May it accept corporate money? | The permitted source depends on the fund and federal restrictions; corporate treasury money is not a direct candidate contribution. | Yes. Corporate and labor-organization contributions may be unlimited under the federal Super PAC framework. |
| What should a donor verify first? | The PAC’s committee type, contribution limit and eligible source. | That the intended spending is independent and will not be a contribution to a candidate. |
Ask the committee for its legal classification before sending money. A solicitation that simply says “PAC” does not tell you whether the recipient may contribute to candidates.
Other federal donor restrictions
Contributions in another person’s name
Federal law prohibits disguising the true source of a contribution. A person may not advance money and list another donor, and an organization may not reimburse an employee or associate so that the employee appears to have made the contribution personally. The prohibition applies even when the listed donor is otherwise eligible.
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Foreign nationals may not make contributions, donations or expenditures in connection with federal, state or local elections. Citizenship, immigration status, the source of the money and the entity’s ownership can all matter. A domestic company with foreign ownership should obtain election-law advice rather than assuming its incorporation in the United States resolves the issue.
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Federal government contractors
Federal candidates may not accept contributions from federal government contractors. A business that holds a federal contract should check the contractor restriction before making or directing any contribution, including through an affiliated political fund.
Partnerships and LLCs
Partnership and LLC treatment depends on the entity’s classification and ownership. An LLC taxed as a corporation is not automatically treated like an individual, and an LLC taxed differently is not automatically free to use its treasury for a candidate contribution. The entity’s governing documents, tax classification, ownership and the applicable FEC rule must be reviewed together.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Federal rules do not answer every state or local question
State and local campaign-finance laws can change the answer. The National Conference of State Legislatures’ comparison for the 2025–2026 period separates individual, PAC, corporate and union limits. Its overview, accessed October 13, 2026, reports that 23 states completely prohibit corporations from contributing to political campaigns; use the dated state table, updated October 6, 2025, to verify any particular state before relying on that count or quoting a state-specific rule. See NCSL’s State Limits on Contributions to Candidates and its Campaign Contribution Limits overview.
Variables that change by jurisdiction
- Office: A state’s rule for governor may differ from its rule for a legislative, county or municipal candidate.
- Limit period: A jurisdiction may use a per-election, per-contest, calendar-year or election-cycle limit.
- Entity treatment: Corporate, union, partnership, LLC and nonprofit rules are not uniform across states.
- Committee definitions: A state may use “PAC,” “independent-expenditure committee” or another label with a different legal meaning.
- Prohibitions: Some states ban corporate contributions entirely; others allow them with limits or additional disclosure.
For a nonfederal candidate, identify the state or locality and office first, then consult that election authority’s current guidance. Do not substitute the federal $3,500 limit or federal corporate ban for a state-law answer.
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A five-question test before sending money
- Who is the intended recipient? Is it a candidate committee, a traditional PAC or a Super PAC?
- Who is the true donor? Is the money from an individual, corporate treasury, corporate SSF, partnership, LLC, foreign national or federal contractor?
- What is the activity? Will the money become a contribution to a candidate, or will a committee make an independent expenditure?
- Which jurisdiction and office apply? Federal, state and local rules cannot be merged into one limit.
- What is the measuring period? Apply the correct per-election, contest, calendar-year or cycle limit, including any primary, general, runoff or special-election designation.
If any answer is uncertain, pause the payment and obtain guidance from the relevant election regulator or qualified campaign-finance counsel. The cost of correcting a prohibited or excessive contribution can exceed the time needed to classify it correctly.
Common misconceptions
“Citizens United lets corporations give directly to candidates.”
That is not the federal rule described here. Corporate entities may engage in certain independent political spending, and Super PACs may accept corporate money, but a corporation’s treasury still may not make a direct contribution to a federal candidate committee.
“Every PAC donation helps the candidate directly.”
Only a committee authorized to make candidate contributions can send a contribution to the candidate. Money sent to a Super PAC remains money for that Super PAC’s independent activity; it is not a candidate contribution.
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“A business can simply donate as an individual.”
An entity cannot relabel its treasury funds as an employee’s personal contribution. The donor named on the record must be the true source, and the source must be eligible for the election and committee involved.
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