In Uncertain Times, Donors Hold Back

Sidney Kess, a New York tax lawyer, said that a special tax provision had been extended for this year. It allows people 70 1/2 or older by the end of the year to give up to $100,000 to eligible charities from an I.R.A.

A gift from a tax-deferred account is not deductible, he said, but a direct transfer — as opposed to taking a distribution and donating it — will not raise adjusted gross income. That number ripples through returns, often resulting in higher taxes by limiting the amount of deductions that may be taken, or causing a greater amount of Social Security to be taxable because adjusted gross income is now higher.