Ari Fleischer: Debt Deal Will Reduce My Donations to Charity

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer says he’ll donate less to charity under the new fiscal-cliff deal because of new deduction limits, the Huffington Post reports.

“I increased donations to charity in 2012. This deal limits my deductions so I, & many others, will likely donate less in 2013,’’ Fleischer, who was a spokesman for George W. Bush, said on Twitter.

That cap applies to people earning $250,000 or more, or couples pulling down $300,000 or more — a limit that could save the federal government $50 billion in tax breaks, The New York Times says.

Many non-profit organizations had argued that tax breaks for charitable contributions should have been left alone — and they aggressively lobbied lawmakers last month in a bid to make their concerns known.

"The President is sending mixed messages to the charitable community," Sue Santa, senior vice president of the Philanthropy Roundtable said last month.
"On one hand, he wants to limit the charitable deduction. On the other, he wants millionaires to continue to give to charity while also paying higher taxes."