This bill phases out the estate tax with full repeal in 2011. The debate now moves to the Senate. Please contact your Senator and to advise opposition of this bill. The estate tax plays a key role in society by generating funds for charities and foundations. Repealing this tax could have devastating effects on these organizations.
States also stand to lose considerable revenue from an estate tax repeal.
Nonprofits are a vital partner to the government as they provide many of the services offered by the government. They exist in the space between government and the economy and serve as the vehicle that improves the lives of people by providing vital services and working on issues of social justice and equity. Any measure that has such a potentially devastating effect on the nonprofit sector must be opposed. Nonprofit organizations that serve the poor and underserved see firsthand the increased demand for services as a result of poorly designed public policies that exacerbate the impact of poverty in our society. These are the organizations that are left to take up the responsibility to care for communities when government and businesses fail to take appropriate action in areas such as adequate minimum wage to assure a basic level of standard of living, health insurance, the growing need for child care, investment in education, and enforcement of environmental policies, to name a few.