[marcinzm]

One problem with rewarding an action is that humans are very good at gaming rules. For example, let's say I get X for donating to charity. I can for example setup my own charity, donate to it, pay myself all its income as salary and then just collect lot's of X.

The US tax system is a perfect example of this I'd say.

[koheripbal]

To be clear, that specific example doesn't work at all, because salaried income from a non-profit is still fully taxable.

[vmception]

Not really any benefit from that

But the charity you setup would shelter your assets better than any prenup or other asset planning (or lack thereof) when you divorce your spouse

[gvjddbnvdrbv]

I am not a lawyer but I'm guessing a judge would look pretty badly on doing this too obviously.

[vmception]

One of the most useful monetary goals in life is being able to afford US federal appeal's court. It's the only part of the system where arbiters of the law actually begin to analyze the law. There is no dog and pony show for jurors there, no instructions that a prosecutor can tell the judges and sway them.

So it wouldn't matter what a single judge thought in lower court, if you were compliant.