{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5053-114/featured_preventing-irs-abuse-and-protecting-free-speech-act-1463296071.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5053-114/featured_large_preventing-irs-abuse-and-protecting-free-speech-act-1463296071.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr5053-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2016-04-26","title_override":"Does the IRS Need to Stop Collecting Information on Donors to Tax-Exempt Groups?","summary_override":"

This bill would prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from requiring that the identity of contributors to 501(c) organizations be included in Schedule B of those groups’ tax returns. The IRS has been considering eliminating Schedule B disclosures altogether since December 2015.

Current law requires 501(c) groups to submit Schedule B with a list of names, addresses, and donation amounts belonging to donors who gave more than $5,000 in a single tax year. Although the information is confidential under federal law, there have been instances of the IRS and state regulators making the disclosures publicly available.

","official_title":"To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from requiring that the identity of contributors to 501(c) organizations be included in annual returns.","short_title":"Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 9, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nPreventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act \n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from requiring a tax-exempt organization to include in annual returns the name, address, or other identifying information of any contributor.\n\nThe bill includes exceptions for: (1) required disclosures regarding prohibited tax shelter transactions; and (2) contributions by the organization's officers, directors, or five highest compensated employees (including compensation paid by related organizations).","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Individuals who make donations to tax-exempt organizations; 501(c) organizations; and the IRS.","argument_for":"Requiring the submission of the names and addresses of donors to tax-exempt groups has a chilling effect on free speech. Besides, the IRS is already considering ending these disclosures because it and state regulators have inadvertently disclosed personal information to the public.","argument_against":"Disclosures of donor names, addresses, and donation amounts don’t deter people from donating to causes they believe in. Even if there are accidental public releases of confidential information, these disclosures are needed to ensure that taxpayers aren’t being defrauded by these groups.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr5053-114","bill_id":"hr5053-114","formal_id":"H.R. 5053","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2016-06-15T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2016-06-14T20:31:04.000Z","debated_on":"2016-06-13T00:00:00.000Z","congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/5053","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr5053ih/html/BILLS-114hr5053ih.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr5053-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/5053/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2016-04-26","related_bill_ids":["s3057-114","hres778-114"],"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":301,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Ways and Means","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Finance","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSFI","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr5053-114","details":"/api/bills/hr5053-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr5053-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr5053-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr5053-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":25,"slug":"hr5053-114-preventing-irs-abuse-and-protecting-free-speech-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr5053-114","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":2349,"yea_vote_count":1078,"nay_vote_count":1264,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["taxes"],"issue_ids":["political-groups","taxes"],"sponsor_id":259}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"political-groups","name":"Political Groups","slug":"political-groups","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Political Groups. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.\r\n","page_title":"Political Groups Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/political-groups/black_political-groups-1429886640.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/political-groups/grey_political-groups-1429886640.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/political-groups/white_political-groups-1429886640.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"taxes","name":"Taxes","slug":"taxes","description":"US Congressional Legislation related to all types of Taxation: Income Tax, Sales Tax, Property Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Employment Taxes, and the Administration and collection of taxes (including regulating the IRS).","page_title":"Tax Related Federal Legislation including: Income and Sales Tax, Regulating the IRS - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/black_taxes-1429042039.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/grey_taxes-1429042039.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/white_taxes-1429042039.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"WisKidVA","vote_count":285,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9XwaKLm/large_e9xwaklm-1464208210.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9XwaKLm/small_e9xwaklm-1464208210.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9XwaKLm/tiny_e9xwaklm-1464208210.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/e9XwaKLm/following","followers":"/api/users/e9XwaKLm/followers"},"about_me":"Govern where you can see the eyes.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"wiskidva","issue_count":9,"is_following":null,"influence_score":155,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":3,"following_count":6,"position_count":104,"id":"e9XwaKLm","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"e338200d-2247-44a9-98d5-7e84931339bd","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"The IRS has a proven inability to maintain Privacy standards regarding Schedule B personal information. This in conjunction with previous issues leading to the forced resignation of the IRS Commissioner in 2013 reflects a Dept culture that doesn't merit oversight of this critical data. Vetting criteria for dept personnel needs attention.","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":1,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/e338200d-2247-44a9-98d5-7e84931339bd"},"body":"The IRS has a proven inability to maintain Privacy standards regarding Schedule B personal information. This in conjunction with previous issues leading to the forced resignation of the IRS Commissioner in 2013 reflects a Dept culture that doesn't merit oversight of this critical data. Vetting criteria for dept personnel needs attention.","stance":"nay","created_at":"2016-05-23T17:57:07.890Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/e338200d-2247-44a9-98d5-7e84931339bd.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr5053-114","user_id":"e9XwaKLm","endorser_ids":["e9XwaKLm"]}}

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Does the IRS Need to Stop Collecting Information on Donors to Tax-Exempt Groups?