Charities chafe at IRS proposal to collect donors' Social Security numbers

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

The IRS once again has stirred the ire of nonprofit groups, this time with a proposal organizations say could someday require them to collect and hand over the Social Security numbers of their donors.

 

Under the proposed rule, the IRS would create an optional filing for 501©(3) nonprofits. Those participating would, as part of their yearly report, turn over the Social Security numbers of any donors who give $250 or more to a charity in a given year.

 

“I don’t know any charity that would adopt this, but those who do will certainly be scaring their donors,” said Mark Fitzgibbons, president of corporate affairs at American Target Advertising, which runs a number of conservative 501©(3) nonprofits.

 

The relationship between certain nonprofits and the IRS already suffers from trust issues in the wake of the controversy over officials subjecting conservative groups seeking another kind of nonprofit status to additional scrutiny.

 

The backlash over this rule, though, appears bipartisan and focused specifically on the security implications.

 

“This is a huge issue for nonprofits -- and the American public,” said Tim Delaney, CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, which opposes the rule.

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If you can't go after the charities, go after their donors...