Tax-Cut Plan Won't Hurt Charitable Giving

Cal Thomas | Syndicated columnist | Published: Mar 15, 2001

Tax-Cut Plan Won't Hurt Charitable Giving


One of the arguments being used by opponents of President Bush's tax cut proposal is that it would hurt charitable giving.

A new study by the Heritage Foundation has found that's not true. The top tax rate has fluctuated between 28 percent and 70 percent over the last 25 years, but charitable gifts remained at the same level.

Stuart Butler, who did the study, says that rising income influences the total level of contributions far more than tax rates. The level of giving as a percentage of income has remained relatively constant for years. "Economic growth leads to higher donations," Butler says, thus, tax-rate reductions that boost the economy will also boost charitable contributions.

Makes sense to me. Besides, most of the critics don't take into account the fact that most people give out of charitable motives and not for the tax deduction. To say otherwise is to malign their motives; something liberals are quite good at doing.

Tax-Cut Plan Won't Hurt Charitable Giving