For generous physicians over age 701/2, the Pension Protection Act may not be protecting your charity donations from taxes as well as you thought. The Act prevents charity donations up to $100,000 made from an IRA from being taxed, but the alternative minimum tax (AMT) can throw a wrench into that tax sanctuary. According to a recent Gregory/FCA press release,AMT victims would be required to pay taxes on their IRA withdrawal regardless of its charitable destination. Originally, the tax ensured that the wealthy didn't avoid taxation, but because of its complicated method of calculation, more people are subject to the tax law. AMT is computed similarly to regular income taxes, except that certain deductions you may claim on your tax form are not subject to AMT exemption. AMT does not allow for state and local income taxes or personal deductions (ie, medical bills, dependents, etc), so the most susceptible are those with large capital gains, an income between $100,000 and $500,000, or large families. Any combination of these factors increases your chances of paying taxes on your IRA charity donation because of AMT, but there is no way of knowing for certain unless you or your financial advisor runs the numbers.