You keep your taxable income as low as possible by taking all the deductions to which you are legally entitled.
Pretending that a tax is a charitable deduction is not legal. Dem state governments, like NY, are such cheaters
No less that the best Supreme Court justice we never had, Judge Learned Hand observed that:
"Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes.Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands."