Both the House and the Senate are taking up tax reform – and both bills hurt nonprofits. ACT TODAY. Call Congress and tell them to vote no on harmful tax reform.
 
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote THIS WEEK on the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act ( H.R. 1 ). The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is discussing the Senate tax bill this week. These bills differ in important ways – read a side-by-side comparison here - but both hurt nonprofits. Yesterday, the Senate added a provision that would repeal the individual mandate for the Affordable Care Act.

Both bills reduce charitable giving; the House bill politicizes nonprofits; the Senate bill threatens the Affordable Care Act. Both bills will fundamentally change our ability to work with our communities. Congress is acting now– so we have to act now, too.

SUMMARY OF THE BILLS  
House Bill ( H.R. 1 )

  • reduces the number of taxpayers who can itemize their charitable deductions, so that 95% of taxpayers would receive no tax benefit from giving back to their communities
  • reduces charitable giving by $13 billion nationally each year
  • eliminates state and local tax deductions, critical to so many New Yorkers
  • repeals the Johnson Amendment protections that keep nonprofits nonpartisan – thrusting us into political debates that are unrelated to our missions
Senate Bill ( "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" )

  • reduces the number of taxpayers who can itemize their charitable deductions, so that 95% of taxpayers would receive no tax benefit from giving back to their communities.
  • reduces charitable giving by $13 billion nationally each year
  • eliminates state and local tax deductions, critical to so many New Yorkers
  • repeals the individual mandate for the Affordable Care Act
UNIVERSAL DEDUCTION COULD HELP NONPROFITS - Democratic Senators Stabenow and Wyden filed an amendment to the Senate bill to create a universal charitable deduction with minor limitations, which would increase charitable giving. Republican Senator James Lankford introduced the Senate version of the Universal Charitable Giving Act , which would create an above-the-line deduction for charitable donations made by people who do not itemize, which would also increase charitable giving. The universal deduction is not in the current Senate bill, and we must urge our Senators to support it .
TAKE ACTION

CALL
"Please vote NO on H.R. 1, the Tax Reform Bill. It reduces the number of taxpayers who can itemize their charitable deductions, so that 95% of taxpayers would receive no benefit from giving back to their communities. This change would reduce charitable giving by $13 billion nationally each year. The bill would also allow charitable giving to be used for partisan politics, and would eliminate state and local tax deductions that are essential to families throughout the state. This bill harms nonprofits and our New York communities at a time when more and more people are turning to nonprofits for help. We need tax reform that encourages charitable giving and helps the average taxpayer. Thank you!"

Call your New York Senators and tell them:
"Please vote NO on the Senate Tax Bill. It reduces the number of taxpayers who can itemize their charitable deductions, so that 95% of taxpayers would receive no benefit from giving back to their communities. This change would reduce charitable giving by $13 billion nationally each year. The bill would also reduce insurance coverage for those who need it, and would eliminate state and local tax deductions that are essential to families throughout the state. This bill harms nonprofits and our New York communities at a time when more and more people are turning to nonprofits for help. We need tax reform that encourages charitable giving and helps the average taxpayer. Please also support a Universal Deduction provision in any tax reform that is considered by the Senate. Thank you!"

TWEET
Do you have an extra minute or two minutes to send a Tweet? Find your House of Representative’s Twitter Handle here and your Senator’s Twitter Handle here and send this message to them. (Be sure to start with a period before the Twitter handle):
House of Representatives tweet –
  • .@[Insert Twitter Handle] H.R. 1 harms #nonprofits and the communities we serve – it reduces charitable deductions and politicizes nonprofits. Vote NO on H.R.1.

Senate Tweets –
  • .@[Insert Twitter Handle] The Senate Tax Bill harms #nonprofits and the communities we serve - it reduces charitable deductions and reduces insurance coverage for those who need it. Vote NO on the Senate Tax Bill.
  • .@[Insert Twitter Handle] Tax reform should prioritize our communities and the #nonprofits that support them. Support the #UniversalDeduction and #UniversalCharitableGivingAct as a part of the Senate tax bill.

Your voice matters! Join us in taking a stand for a strong and vibrant nonprofit community. 

Thank you.