Posted on 12/07/2015 11:10:55 AM PST by John Semmens
Contending that its ability to adequately monitor, measure and police tax-deductible donations is greatly hampered by insufficient data, the IRS is demanding that all organizations receiving such donations obtain donors' Social Security numbers and forward this information to the IRS.
"It's bad enough that the law allows a person to reduce the amount of tax he pays to us by deducting charitable contributions," Commissioner John Koskinen lamented. "What's worse is that the task of verifying the amount and legitimacy of these donations is tedious and time-consuming. Having all donors' Social Security numbers supplied by the receiving organization would substantially ease our burden."
Koskinen dismissed concerns over the proposed new regulation's invasion of privacy as "selfish and anti-social. The government has an interest in maximizing the resources it extracts for the collective benefit of society. Tax-deductions that reduce the magnitude of the resources we receive infringe on the welfare of the whole. The government has a right to know who is diverting these funds from the public coffers."
"Rather than permit private individuals to control where these funds go, it makes more sense to me to put this decision into the hands of the government," Koskinen said. "The government represents all the people. It should control the distribution of all the resources. Ideally, there should be no tax-deductions for charitable giving. Everyone should pay whatever the government says they owe and let the government decide how to spend it."
if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...
http://azconservative.org/2015/12/05/california-massacre-sparks-diverse-reactions/
The IRS form 1040, Schedule A and form 8283 all provide the space for tax return filers to list their SS# and I don’t believe that filers have the option or the right to leave it blank.
I have always believed, this probably why I am poor, relatively, that when one does an act of charity he should expect no reward, sin of Pride. I make all my donations anonymously. That statement is prideful.
Okay, yeah. But why would the IRS need SS#’s for donors who don’t take a deduction on their taxes? Anyway, you never get credit for the full fair market value of any donation, even cash donations.
Hand them a $100 bucks and walk away, don’t do paper.
But if you itemize, you just fill in the total amount of your contributions in Schedule A, broken down into “Cash or check” and “other.” The IRS doesn’t ask for a list of the organizations unless you’re audited.
They ask in form 8283 (Non-cash Charitable Donations), which is filed with the 1040 long form and Schedule A.
But form 8323 is for gifts of property — “donate your used vehicle to public radio.” For check and credit card donations, no names of organizations unless the IRS audits you and asks for them.
If you file your tax return, however it is prepared, they will be up to date as long the info is technically correct.
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