WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Alliance for Charitable Reform (ACR) applauds the expansion of the cap on the temporary universal charitable deduction included in the most recent relief bill introduced in the Senate.
“The charitable sector has been working hard since the passage of the CARES Act in March to expand the temporary $300 charitable deduction for non-itemizing taxpayers, and this indicates that advocacy is working,” said Sandra Swirski, executive director of ACR. “Lawmakers clearly recognize the importance of driving resources to the charitable sector to provide critical services to communities across the country during these uncertain times.”
The legislation released today, an amendment to S. 178, would increase the cap on the temporary universal charitable deduction from $300 for individuals and joint filers to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for joint filers. It also includes increased civil penalties for overstatement of a qualified charitable deduction for non-itemizers.
“Just like the rest of the world, charitable giving is in crisis,” Swirski added. “The number of Americans giving has been declining for more than a decade, and the amount being donated is on shaky ground. Ensuring all Americans have an incentive to give to important causes is now more important than ever given the health and economic uncertainty we’re facing, and we look forward to working with lawmakers to continue expanding upon this policy moving forward.”
The bill text can be found here.
This has been updated to reflect that the legislation introduced was an amendment to S. 178, not a new bill.