Nonprofits assail IRS for charitable-giving rules

[nitpicker]

http://thehill.com/regulation/pending-regs/264212-nonprofits-assail-irs-for-charitable-giving-rules

Nonprofits assail IRS for charitable-giving rules

By Tim Devaney - 12/27/15 09:00 AM EST

Nonprofit organizations and charities are sounding the alarm about a new regulatory proposal from the IRS that would encourage them to collect the Social Security numbers of their donors. They warn the proposed rules could have a “chilling effect” on donations and depress funding for programs that help the nation’s most vulnerable people.

“That means a child will go without a meal, or a family will go without shelter, or a senior citizen will go without life-saving medical care,” said Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits.

While the new rules proposed in September would be strictly voluntary, charitable groups fear encouraging the collection of Social Security numbers would make them a target for hackers.

Currently, nonprofits send donors a written acknowledgement verifying contributions of $250 or more, which they can use when filing their tax returns. But the IRS is proposing changes that would encourage these charitable organizations to collect the Social Security numbers of their donors and provide the information directly to the agency.

Some wealthy philanthropists requested the change for tax purposes, sources say, so they would have an additional way of verifying their contributions. But many more have raised security concerns
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[wordpix]

1. I'm not giving mine out to non-profits

No way, my ssn is already out there in enough places