Opinion: You can redistribute some of the taxes you pay in Arizona

By Bob Batche

Who likes to pay any sort of tax?

I can assure you I don’t, but we do need services supplied by our community and those services need funding. We can question – and I have – our City Council on taxation. Why do they always need more tax money?

As a community grows, like it or not, more taxes are needed.

However, there’s a way to redistribute some of the taxes we pay. In Arizona, there’s the Charitable Tax Credit. I pay Arizona income tax so I can, without any cost to me, donate $400 yearly to an approved charity. If filing a joint return, we can increase that to $800 yearly — again, with no cost or added tax.

Your donation is a tax credit/reduction.

For example, if your Arizona income tax is $699, a donation credit of $400 can be applied. Your state tax is reduced to $299. However, if you file jointly and donate $699, your tax is reduced to $0.

Your donation is redirected to a charity you selected.

I do grocery shopping and am overwhelmed by the inflation. I decided to fund two food charities in Maricopa. You can also donate to schools and other certified charities.

For more information, please visit Tax Credits | Arizona Department of Revenue (azdor.gov).

Bob Batche is a resident of Maricopa.