If the “death tax” is repealed, charities stand to lose roughly $10 billion a year, according to the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute. This amount is nearly equal to contributions by the country’s 82 largest foundations for 2003. If the federal estate tax is eliminated, there is no need for charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts or bequests to charities. Nonetheless, charities are not lobbying against the repeal because they do not want to alienate the wealthy. (For more estate taxes, see the April 22 update.)