I am ever appalled, quite predictably, by the inherent self-serving nature of society in their religious, cultural, ethical, and philosophical responsibility to be considerate and charitable. The unfortunate distasteful connectivity is a subject I go to great lengths to avoid considering, to ignore its wholly unsavory ramifications, but am obliged at certain times of year to face the blatant and unapologetic proofs.
As does almost every resident of this nation I am obliged annually to prepare if not submit forms explaining and illustrating my taxable status, specifically earnings, deductible outlays, and inherent calculated debt of possible refund. In my lifetime I have prepared taxation forms for many nations, taxation like death is universal, deductibles however tend to be specific to the culture pervasive in the locale. From memory, which can admittedly prove somewhat vague, this is the only nation I have ever been allowed, indeed persuaded if not urged to beg a reduction of my personal liability for acts of charity of exceeding miniscule amounts.
Charity, almsgiving, is the cornerstone of a caring and well-constructed civilization, more often than not made a vital part of the inherent organization and responsibility of the state, government, hierarchy. Individual donation, gifts, bursaries, benevolences, are a matter of wholly personal consequence, showing a sharing of the natural burden for the extremes of financial and societal disparity unavoidable in a large functioning community.
My previous experiences with being able to claim deductions for altruistic activities have always been related to sums beyond the average capacity, at a minimum thousands, if not tens of thousands of currency, amounts that allowed the very wealthy to divest their overabundant profits to aid those underprivileged. Small amounts, the singles, tens and twenties of the world were simple gifts, a disposal of out-of-pocket change to a needy and necessary cause, at minimum habitual, like placing coin in the church collection plate, at maximum more personally infringing, forsaking the ability to be wasteful of luxuriating for the benefit of others and to gain possible self-validation.
Daily Abstract Thoughts 