The Economic Case Against Tax Deductions - Businessweek

The Economic Case Against Tax Deductions - Businessweek: What is the rationale for these deductions? Many analysts suggest that if the charitable deduction were removed, people would give less to charity—perhaps even by as much as their tax bills would rise (PDF). Whether you think this would be a bad thing for the economy and society depends on your relative faith in government and nonprofit organizations to deliver public services. It also depends on how much of that charitable giving is going toward “public services.