[DeaconBenjamin]

To be tax deductable it would have to go to a legal charity. I'm not saying you suggested such a thing, however, IMHO it is always a bad idea to give money to a charity with the intent that a family member benefit from your gift.

[Mamzelle]

To be tax deductable it would have to go to a legal charity. I'm not saying you suggested such a thing, however, IMHO it is always a bad idea to give money to a charity with the intent that a family member benefit from your gift)))

Interesting. I happen to know of folks who have set up non-profit foundations for the very reason of protecting assets and providing income to heirs. Is this a bad idea, for you, ethically or legally? I was rather surprised to find out that such things existed...

[Hugin]

You're right, I'm not saying that, in fact I said the opposite. If you set up a charity and the primary beneficiaries are relatives, the IRS may view it as tax evasion. For example you could set up a fund to give scholarships to kids in your hometown, that's fine. If you give all the scholarships to your grandkids, the IRS will likely say it's just a tax evasion scheme.