Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard said Wednesday that President Barack Obama’s proposal to limit income-tax deductions for charitable donations from wealthy Americans will not “discourage” him from contributing to non-profit groups.
Howard appeared Wednesday in Washington alongside Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington, NBA star LeBron James and Grammy award-winning singer Ashanti Douglas to launch a new public service announcement campaign for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
The Daily Caller asked the “Da Vinci Code” director if he thinks President Obama’s new tax proposal will discourage well-off Americans from supporting the Boys and Girls Clubs and other charities.
“Well, tax issues are, you know, are complex in the extreme,” Howard told TheDC after the National Press Club event. “I personally kind of see eye-to-eye with Warren Buffet, and his point of view about taxes and you know, where they could fairly be raised.
Howard continued: “No, it wouldn’t discourage me, but I’m blessed to have the latitude to make decisions and follow through on them — financial decisions — and have the resources to follow through with them. But boy, you know, the economy’s tough and a program like the Boys and Girls Club needs all the support it can get. So if there’s a break on the tax side, maybe, okay, but let’s make sure it doesn’t create a void.”
For taxpayers in the top 35-percent tax bracket, the Obama administration is proposing to lower the value of charitable tax deductions — from 35 cents per donated dollar to just 28 cents.
Ashanti Douglas said that “everyone” is concerned about what amounts to a tax increas on charitable donations. (RELATED: ‘Opie Taylor’: Tax the rich)
“Obviously it’s going to be a concern for everyone but I just encourage people to continue to give to organizations just like this,” she said.