Re:Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change
by wmf on Monday February 17, 2020 @05:29PM
(#22351511)
You make it sound like "decides which donations are tax deductible" was done 100 years ago and never changed which isn't the case. Now if you'll excuse me I have to file some paperwork for the Church of the V8...
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Re:Jeff Bezos Commits $10B to Address Climate Change
by loeg on Monday February 17, 2020 @07:44PM
(#22352418)
I didn't say that and I'm sorry it was unclear. I said:
> the government added the charitable deduction during the 1917 WWI revenue act
The distinction I was trying to draw was that prior to 1917, charitable giving could not be deducted at all, and what changed was that the legislature of the time decided to make it so. It's 100 years ago, but really not that long compared to the history of this country.
If you want to say the IRS represents the will of society, I think I would mildly disagree. They're not elected. That said, they are largely governed by rules set forth by the legislature, who are at least elected, if not always representative.