The federal government allows people to give money to non-profit organizations and then deduct the money they give from their taxable income. If you donate to a hospital, a homeless shelter, the Salvation Army or an educational foundation, you don’t have to pay federal income tax on that money.
But President Barack Obama wants to change that longstanding provision, at least for higher income taxpayers — you know those newly suspicious folks who make $250,000 or more a year. These “wealthy people” wouldn’t get to fully deduct their charitable contributions.
Obama insists this won’t matter to donors or to the charities they support. Regarding the hurt this might put on charities, who have already been hit by the economic downturn — and I quote — “It’s not going to cripple them.”
Gee, thanks for not absolutely “crippling” charities.
Studies suggest charitable donations could fall by 5 percent, however. That’s almost $4 billion that won’t go to feed the poor, help the sick, educate people or provide legal defense for citizens fighting for their rights.
As times get tough, now seems a bizarre time to undercut charitable giving. Instead of removing some tax-deductibility from wealthier Americans, we ought to give extra deductibility to everyone.
Isn’t the goal to maximize help for those in need?
Don’t tell me it’s to maximize government’s role, to the exclusion of private charity.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
11 replies on “Taxing Charity”
Comrade Obama, Chairman of the Politburo, is moving once again to ensure the Federal Government will take the place both of human kindness and God Himself. Let all Charities fail to deliver help in times of trouble and only “Aunt Samanatha” — the Government can then be the “Deux ex machina (the political machine)” which can help with the trouble government has created. Will we have to bow and curtsey when we meet our electec betters, or will we have prostrate ourselve and grovel. My grandmother, a philosophical anarchist, is beginning to make more sense all of the time. I wonder if this Christmas both the Salvation Army kettle tenders and those who drop in money will be arrested for blashphemy against the divine majesty of the State?
Even Hitler didn’t try to pull something like this-heil, O!
Lets face it, the liberal world was shaken seriously when it was recently proven by actual accounting of money given, that liberals do NOT donate to charity & in fact, conservatives are the real charitable people in the world.
What this all boils down to, is liberals have decided the only people who should make charitable donations, are government & government sponsored activist organizations.
Obama & company say the “only” reason conservatives make those donations, is the tax deduction. And in truth, that may be a primary motivating factor. However, that seems a seriously foolish reason to create a roadblock to such donations during these difficult times.
What Obama & company want is for ALL donations to go through the government & not through any private charity & especially those that are tied into a religion. Seems religious charities may be the most active. If & as donations drop, Obama figures he & his socialist buddies running Congress can make the case that the amounts that previously went into private charity can now be taxed so it can go through the government system.
This way government gets to decide who gets funds & who does not. After all, we cannot have liberals outdone in charity since they care so much more for people & especially if they can do so with other peoples money!
This is just another reprehensible move to force people to depend on government for everything. Obama & company want all of us to see the government as our paternal figure that takes care of us from cradle to grave.
Its despicable & it reinforces the notion that liberals refuse to believe each person can best decide where their money goes. They seem to think only government can make the best decisions.
After all, look what wonder jobs the government has done with so much in our lives already! From finance to Medicare to Social Security, to law to so many other choices, about the only government program that has performed well, the “E‑Verify” legal worker check system, is about 95% effective or accurate. Then again, Democrats have decided to NOT fund that program since they are looking to crate millions more Democrat voters by minting brand new citizens who will be given citizenship, despite having sneaked into America illegally & working here w/ forged or stolen documents doing jobs even Americans would do, but they are now held by illegal aliens!
Oh well! Ain’t socialism great?!?
Time after time, it has been shown that Republicans far and away outpace Democrats in charitable contributions. Clearly, this is a grab for Republican tax dollars and a move to starve conservative charities.
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President Barack Obama continues his headlong destructive attack on our economy, our culture, and our society.
Obama’s latest attack is on our religious institutions and our private charities. His proposed tax changes will significantly reduce the deductions that can be taken for donations to our religious institutions and our private charities.
This attack has three apparent objectives. The first is Obama’s persistent stoking of the fires of hatred and envy for the achievers, foundational to the Marxist movement. Second, his plans will greatly decrease the donations to our churches and other religious institutions. This is a strong attack on our religious foundations, a move characteristic of Socialists. Third, his actions will reduce our donations to public charities, significantly decreasing the amount of public money available to care for the poor and less fortunate. This will, of course, make the poor and disabled increasingly dependent on politicians and government.
We are increasingly finding ourselves in harms way. The dangers we face as a nation are from those who hate freedom and who want to control and enslave us. Those dangers become ever more clear with each day and each Obama speech.
“Mr. Conservative”
http://blogs.lubbockonline.com/conservative/2009/03/29/obama-attacks-churches-and-charities/#comments
I’m really confused about this “taking charitable donations off my taxable income”. I use Turbotax and am told each year that I don’t qualify to deduct my charitable donations for one reason or another. I’m also supposed to be able to deduct my Texas sales taxes, but I’m told that we make too much money to do this. Because my husband is a DBA, our total income is assumed to be our spendable income. The only answer to any of this is to enact the FairTax.
NO! It won’t “hurt” them too badly, BUT by Obama’s outlook it will REQUIRE GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND “HELP”, Thereby making MORE PEOPLE dependent on the gov’ts largess (our tax money!!)!
It makes perfect sense if your goal is to make govenment totally intrusive and everyone dependent on the generosity of the party in office.
I have a question? WHY ARE “WE THE PEOPLE” allowing one person to dictate to us?
Why is the House Speaker able to stop an issue that “We the People” want to have?
Why is one Senator allowed to stop an issue?
DID THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS AFTER TAKING OFFICE, OPEN A BOTTLE OF PILLS THAT SAID “STUPID” ON IT?
Gee, I never get to deduct my contributions to charity. I keep being told it’s not a large enough percentage of my income and doesn’t exceed my basic deduction. I get the same answer when I try to deduct my state sales taxes. My husband and I live on less than $50,000 a year, and, with all the taxes we have to pay, it comes to less than that, and we’re told we make too much to take additional deductions. I don’t get it.