|
I'm pleased the House just voted to help earthquake victims in Haiti by offering an immediate benefit to Americans who make charitable contributions to aid the region. The bipartisan legislation will allow individuals to claim any donations to the relief effort as an itemized deduction on their 2009 tax return, instead of waiting to claim it on their 2010 return.
None of us can look at the images of the death and devastation coming out of Haiti without being moved to action. I am incredibly grateful to all of the Americans who are making selfless contributions to help Haiti recover from this disaster and am confident this resolution will motivate even more support in the coming days and weeks. All donations, large and small, are helping to provide crucial necessities for this relief effort.
The measure will promote timely giving to Haiti, in the days and weeks when the region needs help the most, by providing Americans with an immediate income tax benefit that individuals can claim in 2009, instead of 2010. The bill would also make clear that the many taxpayers making a charitable contribution to victims of the Haiti earthquake through a text message will be able to rely on their cell phone bill when claiming a charitable donation.
In addition to passing this measure, the House of Representatives also voted to pass a resolution expressing condolences to, and solidarity with, the people of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake of January 12th, 2010.
As a world leader, America is showing an outpouring of support for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. This resolution will reward the generosity of the American people who have already given and will offer an incentive to encourage additional donations.
In January of 2005, Congress enacted similar tax provisions for individuals that made charitable contributions to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred in late December of 2004. That bill (H.R. 241 in the 109th Congress) passed the House of Representatives without objection and subsequently passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
|
