Erik Paulsen: “I thank the chairman for his leadership on leading the effort to simplify the Tax Code and give some confidence and…”

“I thank the chairman for his leadership on leading the effort to simplify the Tax Code and give some confidence and certainty to those who use it. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, the America Gives More Act. This legislation is absolutely about helping those who are most in need. Those are our charities and our foundations across the country, which are working day in and day out to help those who are most in need. There are a number of important tax rules that we have already discussed that are governing charitable donations and charitable organizations, but they have always been temporary. We have already had these provisions in law, and they have already expired, so here we are, acting under retroactivity already. It is time to get rid of these short-term fixes and embrace long-term solutions. This legislation simply makes the provisions permanent. It encourages companies to donate food to help feed the hungry. It makes it easier for individuals who might want to use their money in their IRA retirement funds and give that money to charitable organizations to help others of all varieties. It incentivizes landowners to help protect and preserve our environment for future generations through conservation easements. I want to just address one other provision that is in this bill, which I actually authored with my colleague, Mr. Davis of Illinois, to help simplify the Tax Code for private foundations. He has been a very strong advocate in leading this effort.…”