The IRS Scandal, Day 940

News Max, Conservatives Slam Proposed IRS Rule That Charities Collect Donors' Social Security Numbers:

Conservatives and nonprofit groups Thursday slammed a proposed IRS rule that could require charities to collect and report Social Security numbers for donors who contribute $250 or more, with Washington attorney Cleta Mitchell expressing "shock and dismay" over the potential repercussions of such a requirement.

"I think about every little church, every charity that anybody gives money to," Mitchell told Newsmax in an interview. "How does any donor know whether a charity is going to be able to protect that information?"

Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, said the proposal "would be devastating for nonprofits and the general public.

"Nonprofits will be hurt because people will be reluctant to make a donation if it means they have to share their private Social Security number, plus it will divert limited resources away from missions to invest instead in costly new data security," Delaney said. ...

The public comment period ends on Dec. 16. If anyone requests public hearings on the proposed rule, they would be scheduled and notices would be published in the Federal Register. ...

The IRS proposed a similar rule in 2009, but rejected it after an investigation by the Government Accountability Office found — among other conclusions — that taxpayers might reduce their contributions "because they are reluctant to provide Social Security numbers to charities given concerns over identity theft." ...

However, a broader danger exists, according to Mitchell: the IRS targeting conservative groups and their donors for audits, thus drying up contributions.

"I've seen ample evidence that the IRS has used donor information — people who contribute to conservative organizations or Republican candidates, causes — to go after those people and target them for audits," she said.

Mitchell represented many tea party groups in lawsuits against the IRS and the Obama administration who had been targeted for special scrutiny by the tax agency in their applications for nonprofit status for several years leading up to the 2012 presidential election.

In October, the Justice Department closed a two-year investigation into the scandal without charging former supervisor Lois Lerner, who headed the department that screened the applications, or anyone else at the agency.

"Is that what they're trying to do?" Mitchell asked. "Being able to discourage people from contributing to charitable organizations? Is that what they're trying to do, so there'll be fewer people taking the charitable deduction?

"What's the public policy purpose of this?"

• The IRS Scandal, Day 939 (Dec. 4, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 938 (Dec. 3, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 937 (Dec. 2, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 936 (Dec. 1, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 935 (Nov. 30, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 934 (Nov. 29, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 933 (Nov. 28, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 932 (Nov. 27, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 931 (Nov. 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 930 (Nov. 25, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 929 (Nov. 24, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 928 (Nov. 23, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 927 (Nov. 22, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 926 (Nov. 21, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 925 (Nov. 20, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 924 (Nov. 19, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 923 (Nov. 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 922 (Nov. 17, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 921 (Nov. 16, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 920 (Nov. 15, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 919 (Nov. 14, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 918 (Nov. 13, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 917 (Nov. 12, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 916 (Nov. 11, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 915 (Nov. 10, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 914 (Nov. 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 913 (Nov. 8, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 912 (Nov. 7, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 911 (Nov. 6, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 910 (Nov. 5, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 909 (Nov. 4, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 908 (Nov. 3, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 907 (Nov. 2, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 906 (Nov. 1, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 905 (Oct. 31, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 904 (Oct. 30, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 903 (Oct. 29, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 902 (Oct. 28, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 901 (Oct. 27, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 801-900 (July 19, 2015 - Oct. 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 701-800 (April 10, 2015 - July 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 601-700 (Dec. 31, 2014 - April 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 501-600 (Sept. 22, 2014-Dec. 30, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 401-500 (June 14, 2014 - Sept. 21,2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 301-400 (Mar. 6, 2014 - June 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 201-300 (Nov. 26, 2013 - Mar. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 101-200 (Aug. 18, 2013 - Nov. 25, 2013)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1-100 (May 10, 2013 - Aug. 17, 2013)