The Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act  (H.R. 1310 and S. 2077)

What is the Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act?
The Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act would permit those taxpayers who currently do not itemize to deduct fifty percent of their charitable contributions above a $500 floor annually.  The measure has been introduced in both houses of Congress and has received broad bipartisan support.  

H.R. 1310 was introduced by Representative Phil Crane (R-IL) and currently has 149 co-sponsors, including a majority of the House Ways and Means Committee.  The Senate companion bill, 
S. 2077, was introduced by Senator Rick Santorum and has four co-sponsors.

In addition, the Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act was included in the Clinton Administration's budget for fiscal year 2001 and was highlighted in President Clinton's 2000 State of the Union address.

How will the Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act affect the nonprofit sector?
PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that the Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act would generate an additional $16.5 billion in additional giving across the country over a five year period. In addition, the firm has provided information on the projected increase in giving for each state.

How can I support the Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act?
You can help support the Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act by adding your organization to Independent Sector's sign-on letter urging Congress to enact this legislation.  For additional information on the bill you can download our brochure or contact IS staff.

Press Releases
Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act is Re-Introduced in Congress  (March 25, 1999)
Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act is Introduced in the Senate  (March 1, 2000)