E-Mail Alert to Guild Members – April 8, 2003

Responding to an e-mail alert sent April 8, Guild members within hours made hundreds of contacts with their senators -- by phone, fax and e-mail -- in support of the Charity Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment Act of 2003 (the "CARE Act"). The CARE Act contains the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, legislation that the Guild has backed for several years that would make authors' manuscripts and other creative works that they donate to nonprofit organizations deductible for tax purposes at their appraised fair market value.

URGENT ACTION REQUESTED

We are asking members to back important tax legislation as soon as possible. Please contact your U.S. Senators this week, by e-mail, telephone or fax, and let them know that you support passage of S. 272, the Charity Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment Act of 2003 (the "CARE Act"). The CARE Act contains the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, legislation that would make authors' manuscripts and other creative works that they donate to nonprofit organizations deductible for tax purposes at their appraised fair market value. The Senate version of the CARE Act no longer contains any "faith-based initiatives."

TIMING & CONTACT INFO

The full Senate is expected to vote on the bill before Friday, April 11. This vote is critical. A list of all senators and their contact information and the text of the bill are available at http://www.senate.gov.

PLEASE COPY US

If you contact your senators, please let us know. Simply e-mail us at staff@authorsguild.org to let us know you called your senators, or send a copy of your e-mails to the same address. If you contact your senators by fax, please copy us at (212) 564-5363.

BACKGROUND

For three years, the Authors Guild has supported proposed changes to the tax code that would allow authors and artists to deduct for tax purposes the appraised market value of their own work (such as manuscripts, first editions, or fine artwork) that they donate to museums, universities and libraries. Current tax laws permit the creators to deduct only the value of the materials used in creating the work, such as the expense of the paper and ink in the case of an original manuscript. Collectors and others, however, are permitted to deduct the fair market value of donated manuscripts.

The righting of this inequity, which has harmed not only potential donors and non-profit institutions, but scholarship itself, has never come to a vote before the full Senate. We cannot overstate this vote's importance. If it passes the Senate, its chances in the House of Representatives increase dramatically.

Many thanks for your help in this matter.