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Re:Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding... by hnburnsy on Monday April 14, 2025 @05:28PM (#43686516)
>...much of the money is reserved for a particular purpose

I would assume that a tax on an endowment would be like a capital gains tax, i.e., taxed on the investment growth. Is the growth 'reserved for a particular purpose'?

Re:Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding... by gruez on Monday April 14, 2025 @05:33PM (#43686560)
It's reserved because the donation was earmarked for a specific purpose (eg. a business program or whatever), not because they reserved 30% on tax owing.

>Is the growth 'reserved for a particular purpose'?

It's probably safe to assume donors are competent enough that such glaring loopholes don't exist. After all, the concept of endowments being used as long term savings, rather than spent immediately, isn't exactly a new concept. Failing to take this into account would mean any earmarks are void after a few decades.