In December 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 (HR 4853) into law. This law provided sweeping changes to the rules that govern federal estate taxes, gift taxes and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The law authorized those individuals who are at least 70.5 years old to donate up to $100,000 from their Individual Retirement Account directly to a qualified charity -- such as the ARRL -- in a Trustee-to-Trustee transfer; this charitable gift would not have to be reported on a tax return (no IRA income is reported and no charity deduction is reported). This keeps the giver’s adjusted gross income lower and avoids any adjustments in Medicare premiums. The provisions in HR 4853 have been extended for two years and will expire on December 31, 2012.

Individuals who are interested in supporting the ARRL using this vehicle should consult their tax and/or financial advisors to determine the impact of such a gift. “This is the perfect time of year for members who qualify and are in a position to consider a direct contribution to the ARRL,” said ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH. “Such gifts may support the Spectrum Defense Fund, the Education & Technology Fund, the W1AW Endowment Fund or one of the other ARRL permanent funds.”