AMAC Supports Bill to Make Charitable Giving Easier

The Charitable Act will allow taxpayers without itemized returns to make charitable donations and claim a tax credit for doing so.

July 7, 2023

The Honorable James Lankford
Senator from Oklahoma
316 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Blake Moore
1st Congressional District of Utah
1131 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Senator Lankford and Representative Moore,

On behalf of the 2.1 million members of AMAC, the Association of Mature American Citizens, over 33,700 members in Oklahoma, and 4,900 members in UT-01, I am pleased to convey our support for S. 566 and its companion bill H.R. 3435, together, the Charitable Act.

Funding for non-profit businesses that come in the form of donations has significantly declined over the last three years, not only because of the self-induced inflation our federal government has placed on our economy, but because current tax regulations actively discourage donations made by those who take the standard deduction when filing their taxes by not allowing them to claim a deduction for charitable giving. The expiration of the universal charitable deduction has done much to hamper the good works that these entities do for our communities.

These organizations could do so much more for their communities were they funded directly by taxpayers themselves. Imagine the funding these worthy organizations would receive if that subsidy were not first collected from our taxes, but was available for the average taxpayer, who is infinitely more qualified than Congress or the Executive Branch to determine which charities are the most beneficial and deserving of their hard-earned cash in their own communities.

Some, but not all the potential direct funding for these organizations could be and should be significantly restored. The Charitable Act will bring that restoration so taxpayers without itemized returns can make charitable donations and claim a tax credit for doing so. This will increase funding for the entire enterprise of charitable, and non-profit companies to do their good works, and reduce the demand signal for the government, in its inept way to perform those works.

AMAC thanks you, Senator Lankford, and Representative Blake, for your vision and strong leadership in introducing this important legislation to ensure our charities and non-profit companies may continue their important work by enabling more Americans to provide needed donations.

Sincerely,

Bob Carlstrom
President
AMAC Action