Law Commons^™

Can The 'Death Tax' Kill Charity Too? The Impact Of Legislation On Charitable Bequests, Kristine Knaplund

Kristine Knaplund

The national debate over the federal estate tax has caused fear in American charities over the past ten years, a fear that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Since Congress acted in 2001 to repeal the dreaded 'death tax' for one year, for those dying in 2010, charities and individuals have become increasingly concerned about the impact of a repeal on charitable donations. While only a small percentage of charitable gifts come in the form of gifts at death, these few but generous incidents in fact amount to billions of dollars, and are imperative to the operation of …