Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year Act of 2017

To amend the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify certain charitable tax provisions. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year Act of 2017 2. Sense of the senate relating to the protection of charitable deductions (a) Findings The Senate makes the following findings: (1) The deduction for charitable contributions has been an important and effective part of the tax code for almost 100 years. (2) The deduction for charitable contributions is unique as it is the only provision that encourages taxpayers to give away a portion of their income for the benefit of others. (3) In 2012, nonprofit organizations provided 11,400,000 jobs, accounting for 10.3 percent of the country’s private-sector workforce. (4) In 2015, total charitable giving was estimated to be $373,250,000,000 (a 4.1-percent increase from 2014) and accounted for 2.1 percent of the gross domestic product. (b) Sense of the Senate It is the sense of the Senate that— (1) encouraging charitable giving should be a goal of tax reform; and (2) Congress should ensure that the value and scope of the deduction for charitable contributions is not diminished during a comprehensive reform of the tax code. 3. Determination of standard mileage rate for charitable contributions deduction (a) Determination of standard mileage rate for charitable contributions deduction Subsection (i) of section 170 (i) Standard mileage rate for use of passenger automobile For purposes of computing the deduction under this section for use of a passenger automobile, the standard mileage rate shall be the rate determined by the Secretary, which rate shall not be less than the standard mileage rate used for purposes of section 213. . (b) Effective date The amendment made by this section shall apply to miles traveled after the date of the enactment of this Act. 4. Modification of substantiation requirements for charitable contributions (a) In general Paragraph (8) of section 170(f)(8) (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to contributions made in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2016. 5. Mandatory electronic filing for annual returns of exempt organizations (a) In general Section 6033 (n) Mandatory electronic filing Any organization required to file a return under this section shall file such return in electronic form. . (b) Inspection of electronically filed annual returns Subsection (b) of section 6104 is amended by adding at the end the following: Any annual return required to be filed electronically under section 6033(n) shall be made available by the Secretary to the public in machine readable format. (c) Effective date (1) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Transitional relief (A) Small organizations (i) In general In the case of any small organizations, or any other organizations for which the Secretary determines the application of the amendments made by subsection (a) would cause undue burden without a delay, the Secretary may delay the application of such amendments, but not later than taxable years beginning 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (ii) Small organization For purposes of clause (i), the term small organization (I) the gross receipts of which for the taxable year are less than $200,000; and (II) the aggregate gross assets of which at the end of the taxable year are less than $500,000. (B) Organizations filing form 990–T In the case of any organization described in section 511(a)(2) 6. Modification of rules relating to donor advised funds (a) Allowance of tax-Free charitable distributions from individual retirement accounts (1) In general Clause (i) of section 408(d)(8)(B) or any fund or account described in section 4966(d)(2) (2) Effective date The amendment made by this subsection shall apply to distributions made in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2016. (b) Return disclosures (1) Distributions Subsection (k) of section 6033 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking and (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting a comma; and (C) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (4) list the total number of such funds which were in existence for the 36-month period ending at the close of such taxable year, (5) list the total number of funds described in paragraph (4) which made at least 1 grant during the period described in such paragraph, and (6) set forth— (A) whether such organization has a publicly available policy with respect to funds which are inactive, dormant, or do not make distributions during the period described in paragraph (4), (B) a description of the organization's policy for responding to funds described in subparagraph (A) or a statement that no such policy is in effect, and (C) whether such organization regularly and consistently monitors and enforces compliance with the policy described in subparagraph (A) with respect to such funds. . (2) Effective date The amendment made by this subsection shall apply to returns for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. 7. Modification of the tax rate for the excise tax on investment income of private foundations (a) In general Section 4940(a) 2 percent 1 percent (b) Elimination of reduced tax where foundation meets certain distribution requirements Section 4940 of such Code is amended by striking subsection (e). (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 8. Exception from private foundation excess business holdings tax for certain philanthropic business holdings (a) In general Section 4943 (g) Exception for certain philanthropic business holdings (1) In general Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to the holdings of a private foundation in any business enterprise which for the taxable year meets— (A) the exclusive ownership requirements of paragraph (2), (B) the all profits to charity requirement of paragraph (3), and (C) the independent operation requirements of paragraph (4). (2) Exclusive ownership The exclusive ownership requirements of this paragraph are met if— (A) all ownership interests in the business enterprise are held by the private foundation at all times during the taxable year, and (B) all the private foundation’s ownership interests in the business enterprise were acquired under the terms of a will or trust upon the death of the testator or settlor, as the case may be. (3) All profits to charity (A) In general The all profits to charity requirement of this paragraph is met if the business enterprise, not later than 120 days after the close of the taxable year, distributes an amount equal to its net operating income for such taxable year to the private foundation. (B) Net operating income For purposes of this paragraph, the net operating income of any business enterprise for any taxable year is an amount equal to the gross income of the business enterprise for the taxable year, reduced by the sum of— (i) the deductions allowed by chapter 1 for the taxable year which are directly connected with the production of such income, (ii) the tax imposed by chapter 1 on the business enterprise for the taxable year, and (iii) an amount for a reasonable reserve for working capital and other business needs of the business enterprise. (4) Independent operation The independent operation requirements of this paragraph are met if, at all times during the taxable year— (A) no substantial contributor (as defined in section 4958(c)(3)(C)) to the private foundation, or family member of such a contributor (determined under section 4958(f)(4)), is a director, officer, trustee, manager, employee, or contractor of the business enterprise (or an individual having powers or responsibilities similar to any of the foregoing), (B) at least a majority of the board of directors of the private foundation are individuals other than individuals who are either— (i) directors or officers of the business enterprise, or (ii) members of the family (determined under section 4958(f)(4)) of a substantial contributor (as defined in section 4958(c)(3)(C)) to the private foundation, and (C) there is no loan outstanding from the business enterprise to a substantial contributor (as so defined) to the private foundation or a family member of such contributor (as so determined). (5) Certain deemed private foundations excluded This subsection shall not apply to— (A) any fund or organization treated as a private foundation for purposes of this section by reason of subsection (e) or (f), (B) any trust described in section 4947(a)(1) (relating to charitable trusts), and (C) any trust described in section 4947(a)(2) (relating to split-interest trusts). . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017.

Summary: Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify several tax provisions affecting charitable contributions and tax-exempt organizations. The Internal Revenue Service may determine the standard mileage rate for deducting the cost of using a passenger automobile for charitable purposes (currently set by statute at 14 cents per mile), and the rate may not be less than the rate for medical purposes (17 cents per mile for 2017). The bill modifies the substantiation requirements for charitable contributions to eliminate an exemption for contributions that are reported on a return filed by a tax-exempt organization. Tax-exempt organizations must file their returns in electronic form. The bill excludes from the gross income of an individual who is at least 70-1/2 years of age up to $100,000 in distributions from an individual retirement plan to a donor-advised fund (DAF). The bill also modifies disclosure requirements for DAFs. (A DAF is a fund or account that is separately identified by reference to contributions of a donor or donors. The account is owned and controlled by a sponsoring charitable organization, while the donor retains advisory privileges with respect to the distribution and investment of funds in the account.) The bill reduces from 2% to 1% the excise tax on the investment income of private foundations and eliminates a provision that reduces the rate to 1% if a foundation meets certain distribution requirements. The bill exempts certain philanthropic business holdings from the tax on excess business holdings of private foundations if a foundation meets requirements for exclusive ownership, donating all profits to charity, and independent operation.