Just Always say no. Don’t feel guilt, just say no. If it is a charity that you actually care about then still say no and donate to the charity yourself. Why give GiantCorp money for charity when they are trying to bully you with psychological bullshit, making their employee have awkward interactions with customers, AND then taking a tax write off for donations they did not even make! The 50/50 gets me to, If GiantCorp wats to donate then donate don’t use it as a marketing ploy.
There are countries (such as the UK) were one of the main pathways for Tax Evasion for very rich people is to make a Charity or Foundation (in the UK case, you register it on one of the Channel Islands tax havens) to which one gifts the entirety of one’s income (the way it works for tax evasion in the UK is that the entire tax on the money given to said Charity or Foundation is sent to them by the UK State) and then that Charity or Foundation pays for all your living expenses.
Even better, such a scheme also works for evading Inheritance Tax - you just have to change who the controlling board member of said “Charity” or “Foundation” is and now the control of all that money is in the hands of the descendant(s), tax free even if the amount is high enough that inheritance tax would be due (so, for very rich people).
But that’s not even the most special part. The most special part is when some people who uses such tax evasion schemes boast very publicly that “I give all my money to Charity”, since most of the public aren’t aware of this scheme.
Stores can’t write off a customer’s point-of-sale donations, because they don’t count as company income, according to tax policy experts. Customers can write off their own donations if they choose. Stores are allowed to write off their own donations, such as when a store donates a certain portion of all its proceeds to charity.
I make an exception for my local co-op; they partner with a different local charity every month, and most of them are fairly small and having a source like the co-op makes an enormous difference for them. I’m pretty sure the co-op itself isn’t pulling any shenanigans; if I really cared I could download the financials and work through it myself.
Otherwise, like you, I always say no. No at the pet store, because animal welfare funds are a major part of our yearly donations. Come to think of it, nowhere else I shop ever asks about rounding up for charity - just the co-op and the pet store. Odd.
Just Always say no. Don’t feel guilt, just say no. If it is a charity that you actually care about then still say no and donate to the charity yourself. Why give GiantCorp money for charity when they are trying to bully you with psychological bullshit, making their employee have awkward interactions with customers, AND then taking a tax write off for donations they did not even make! The 50/50 gets me to, If GiantCorp wats to donate then donate don’t use it as a marketing ploy.
Sometimes the charity is also controlled by the same people
There are countries (such as the UK) were one of the main pathways for Tax Evasion for very rich people is to make a Charity or Foundation (in the UK case, you register it on one of the Channel Islands tax havens) to which one gifts the entirety of one’s income (the way it works for tax evasion in the UK is that the entire tax on the money given to said Charity or Foundation is sent to them by the UK State) and then that Charity or Foundation pays for all your living expenses.
Even better, such a scheme also works for evading Inheritance Tax - you just have to change who the controlling board member of said “Charity” or “Foundation” is and now the control of all that money is in the hands of the descendant(s), tax free even if the amount is high enough that inheritance tax would be due (so, for very rich people).
But that’s not even the most special part. The most special part is when some people who uses such tax evasion schemes boast very publicly that “I give all my money to Charity”, since most of the public aren’t aware of this scheme.
This, the company is basically using YOUR donation for THEIR tax breaks. Don’t help the company skimp on taxes.
Stores can’t write off a customer’s point-of-sale donations, because they don’t count as company income, according to tax policy experts. Customers can write off their own donations if they choose. Stores are allowed to write off their own donations, such as when a store donates a certain portion of all its proceeds to charity.
I make an exception for my local co-op; they partner with a different local charity every month, and most of them are fairly small and having a source like the co-op makes an enormous difference for them. I’m pretty sure the co-op itself isn’t pulling any shenanigans; if I really cared I could download the financials and work through it myself.
Otherwise, like you, I always say no. No at the pet store, because animal welfare funds are a major part of our yearly donations. Come to think of it, nowhere else I shop ever asks about rounding up for charity - just the co-op and the pet store. Odd.