Continuing subscribers will remember that the hunting community was rocked to the core more than a decade ago by allegations that big game hunting trophies were being over-appraised and then donated to non-profit organizations by hunters who then took overly generous tax deductions. At the heart of the scandal was a man by the name of Robert Bruce Duncan of Chicago Appraiser Association. Well, Duncan (a convicted felon now because of his previous trophy-donation activities) is mentioned prominently in the above-mentioned article.
When you read it - and you simply must if you have donated trophies to a charitable organization in order to take a tax deduction - keep in mind that all sorts of charitable contributions are being targeted now by Congress, including such things as automobiles and art. It's also important to remember that the coverage of this practice erupted around tax-deadline time, which is when Congress and the IRS like to orchestrate scary publicity about tax-cheaters being caught.
Still, the fact remains that trophy donations are back in the spotlight, especially those that have been handled by Chicago Appraisers Association. Bone up on this issue by reading the Washington Post article. This is serious stuff.
........(continued)
