Does your faith or the IRS determine your charitable giving? If the charitable deduction changed next year: Would you give more, less, or the same? What drives your charitable giving?
These are tough questions because they will reveal something about you that you may not want to be revealed. And the fact of the matter is that we love to pay fewer taxes, but is this the only reason to give to a charitable organization?
Why am I asking about this? Well, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published in May 2011 their report for Options for Changing the Tax Treatment of Charitable Giving, where they outline several ways of changing the tax subsidy the US government provides to the taxpayer that makes charitable donations.
Therefore, if the US government is thinking about this, I feel we should be too. After all, what is our motivation for giving to the church or any charitable organization? How much is our giving determined by our faith and how much by the tax law?
First, I want to make a distinction in terms – The tithe is what is given to the church and a gift is offered to other charitable organizations; but as far as the government is concerned, they are all gifts/donations to a charitable organization.
Most of us probably don’t think of the government as subsidizing charities, but that is exactly what is happening when the government gives you tax relief for having donated funds or property. For example, it is believed that if you give to churches, the government can say that this will lower crime rates and therefore lower law enforcement costs, which is of interest to the government. And so it is, the government is interested in supporting charities, especially when it is in their benefit to do so.
But why do you give to charities? Is it because the bible says you should tithe? Is it because you have a charitable heart and love to help others? Is it because you want to lower your tax burden? Maybe it’s all or none of these.
When you ponder the Scripture, 1 Chronicles 29:11, it states that God owns everything! And if He has blessed you with more than you need, is it not in God’s Will that you provide for the needs that others have? Maybe it’s supporting the food bank or giving to the benevolence fund or simply donating my gently used clothing to the local thrift shop. Whatever it is, shouldn’t you be considering those who are less fortunate than you are and seeking ways to help them? If you are doing these things then the IRS says you deserve some tax relief.
It’s in Romans 13 that we read about government and God’s role in creating it. And so, while many of us would say disparaging things about our government officials these days, they were placed there by God and whether they are aware of it or not, involved in His Will; which is why we need to always pray for our elected officials.
But should tax relief be the only reason for our giving to the church or charities? Is a tax deduction the only thing that determines how much we give? Are we not investing into the welfare of our family/community but also into God’s Kingdom?
I guess I will close with one last question: Have you built your budget to allow for giving to charities? If not, please prayerfully consider doing so.
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