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Deduct gifts to poor people | |||||||||||||||||
I think the IRS should recognize and give deductions for gifts to actual poor people. We've developed a system of anonymous charity in our country, where I can give money to a group or a church and get a receipt, then they give it to the poor or buy things with it. But I never know how much of it gets to someone, I never get to seem them get it and myself get enjoyment from that andthey never get to appreciate Me for giving it to them. It makes the subjects see charity like an entitlement. A right. I want a system where if I give actual money or goods in lieu of money to a poor person, skipping the middle-man, I can get some credit (a tax deduction) for it. Right now, I'm sure everyone reading is thinking-'how are you going to get the SSN of the poor person for taxation'--I think these gifts should not be recorded as income for the poor person. I don't know how you could prove this donation--they don't carry receipt machines--but we could come up with something. I understand that this wouldn't be a boon to organizations that support the poor, but I also think that if the poor have a more visual picture of that money and how it gets to them from actual people, maybe they'll be a little more proud and try a little harder to get off of the dole, or maybe at least they'll wish for the day when they can give money to people. And get deductions.
hrench, May 08 2008
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The devil is in the details. You'd have to register the poor to make sure folks to give to their relatives- you to me & me to you- we both skip the tax man.
If you register & qualify folks, you create an incentive to remain qualified. Ouch.
I am not religious, but having churches evaluate & work with motivated poor has advantages. There is no perfect or even good system, but I do like local and sincere folks a lot more than govt based techniques.
I agree that the lack of directness in charity is a large problem, but a local church might help. You can join without drinking deeply from the doctrine, and do a lot of good for real people.
wizard, I understand what you mean about 'the details' part--I haven't figure them out either. As for giving to relatives, I helped my newlywed neice move and decided that she was about as poor as you get--I would feel pleased to help her out and I'm sure she would be more appreciative than a stranger--but giving money to relatives is likely to taint the relationship, so I've decided not to. Maybe she wouldn't accept a direct gift anyway--I don't want to offend. Sometimes rural people are proud.
I am a church-goer, but I still seldom get to see the people we benefit. I suppose different churches have different systems. Though I live in a rural community, most of the money we collect and assistance we provide goes to poor people in Kansas City.
As for the government-based 'charity', it just irks me. The people that distribute my money get to act all high-and-mighty and they get paid out of the coffer(sometimes alot!).