# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 431
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8602 "2025-09-23T18:53:22Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > If I’m not mistaken they deduct the donations from _their_ taxes. IIRC, that’s a common myth, but I don’t think that’s actually true. As I understand it, it only counts as corporate donation if they’re donating their own money. If they’re collecting money from customers specifically for a charity, they can’t count that as part of their revenue, and therefore cannot deduct the donation from their taxes. You, the donor technically could, but deducting a fraction of a dollar is going to have zero impact on your tax bill, unless you make a whole lot of these donations and keep records of all of them. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8603 "2025-09-23T19:15:10Z")
I voted, but none of them matched my reasons, either. I won’t contribute, because i like to give to charity mindfully, and not to random asks. I believe that the supermarket is giving to whoever they say they are giving to, but it’s never a group i would have donated to. Not that they are bad groups, just .. randos. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8604 "2025-09-23T19:15:31Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > If I’m not mistaken they deduct the donations from _their_ taxes. You are mistaken. > **[Stores can’t write off customer donations made at checkout](https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-000329849244)** > > False. Stores can’t write off a customer’s point-of-sale donations, because they don’t count as company income, according to tax policy experts. _CLAIM: When a customer elects to donate to charity at a store’s checkout counter, the store can write off that donation on its own end-of-year taxes._ _AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Stores can’t write off a customer’s point-of-sale donations, because they don’t count as company income, according to tax policy experts. Customers can write off their own donations if they choose. Stores are allowed to write off their own donations, such as when a store donates a certain portion of all its proceeds to charity._ > [@Dr.Drake](#): > > In reality, however, the corporation is presenting money they have collected to a charity. How is that not a corporate donation? And, as **Frodo** says, they are also benefitting from it. The only benefit is the publicity and public relations. > [@WildaBeast](#): > > IIRC, that’s a common myth, but I don’t think that’s actually true. As I understand it, it only counts as corporate donation if they’re donating their own money. You are correct sir. The same myth came about from United Way.. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8605 "2025-09-23T19:16:23Z")
I suspected that, thus my caveat. That said, are we _sure_ it’s a myth? It’s a shame Cecil column is defunct, this would be a good question for him. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8606 "2025-09-23T19:25:23Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > That said, are we _sure_ it’s a myth? AP is a pretty solid cite. [https://taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/who-gets-tax-benefit-those-checkout-donations-0](https://taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/who-gets-tax-benefit-those-checkout-donations-0) _This is where you round up your bill to give to a charity designated by the retailer, and the donation amount appears on your receipt. The store serves only as a collection agent for your gift. Assuming the business is following the law, it will not include your donation as part of its business receipts, or income, nor will it claim the charitable gift as an expense._ _In other words, your gift has zero impact on the store’s income taxes._ htt ps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/06/10/fact-check-false-claim-checkout-charities-offset-corporate-taxes/7622379002/ > **[No, Walmart Isn't Writing Off Your Checkout Donations](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/walmart-checkout-charity/)** > > A social media meme mischaracterized business tax practices. Note that “its a scam” is leading heavily in the poll. Showing that ever SDMBs get stuff wrong- ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8607 "2025-09-23T19:26:08Z")
Thanks!, Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8608 "2025-09-23T20:41:09Z")
I won’t round up for purchases at big businesses, but will for my local vendors if I approve of the charity. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8609 "2025-09-23T21:46:19Z")
Orange honeydew and Tuscan melons are better than the poll choices. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8610 "2025-09-24T03:56:22Z")
When I worked at the grocery store my favorite part of the job was pushing the round-ups for local charities. Our local food bank building was completely wiped out by Hurricane Helene and immediately our round up money went to help them. Despite many of our customers having suffered in the hurricane, our store raised over $20,000 for the food bank just asking for two months for round-ups. All the money went to the food bank and the company kicked in an extra amount themselves on top of the $20,000. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8611 "2025-09-24T06:05:21Z")
So far I’ve never used the “round up for charity option’“. If I want to donate to a charity, I’ll donate to a charity directly. If it was for one day/week/month for a local cause, such as the food bank after being wiped out by Hurricane Helene, I might do it. Or I might just walk over to the donation station and put in some bills. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8612 "2025-09-24T06:44:02Z")
“Round up for charity” is in all the TITO machines in Las Vegas these days. When you feed your ticket into the machine, it gives you the option of donating the change to one of a couple of charities or getting a ticket back to collect your $.37 from the cashier on the far side of the casino floor. With a line. I usually choose to donate to drug treatment centers. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8613 "2025-09-24T11:50:02Z")
Yeah, i would probably have given to that one. It’s usually the salvation army, or some local things I’ve never heard of. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8614 "2025-09-24T17:33:07Z")
Solutions to the [poll on famous duos known by their last names](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/6241): - Bud & Lou - Abbott & Costello (comedy) - Daryl & John - Hall & Oates (music) - David & Ezra - Abercrombie & Fitch (fashion) - David & Robert - Mitchell & Webb (comedy) - Dawn & Jennifer - French & Saunders (comedy) - George & Gracie - Burns & Allen (comedy) - Isaac & Adam - Funk & Wagnalls (publishing) - Jerry & Joe - Siegel & Shuster (comics) - Kenny & Jim - Loggins & Messina (music) - Paul & Art - Simon & Garfunkel (music) - Richard & Max - Simon & Schuster (publishing) - Richard & Oscar - Rodgers & Hammerstein (musical theatre) - Stan & Oliver - Laurel & Hardy (comedy) - Stephen & Hugh - Fry & Laurie (comedy) - William & Arthur - Gilbert & Sullivan (musical theatre) - William & Joseph - Hanna–Barbera (animation) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8615 "2025-09-24T18:07:27Z")
I feel dumb… the only Dawn I could think of was Dawn French, but for some reason I didn’t think of French & Saunders even though I’m well aware of them. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8616 "2025-09-24T21:15:44Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I feel dumb… the only Dawn I could think of was Dawn French I thought of Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on _Gilligan’s Island_, but you’d probably have to match her up with Tina (Louise). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8617 "2025-09-25T00:32:47Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > I thought of Dawn Wells There was also Tony Orlando and Dawn, ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8618 "2025-09-25T03:24:43Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Tony Orlando and Dawn Dawn was the name of a duo. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8619 "2025-09-25T03:37:27Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Dawn was the name of a duo And, as I remember it, the source of a running joke on their 1970s variety show: “So, which one is Dawn?” [![](https://i.scdn.co/image/ea3cdcc79d097f3e488c6f5b349f900fe0b56456) ](https://i.scdn.co/image/ea3cdcc79d097f3e488c6f5b349f900fe0b56456) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8620 "2025-09-25T18:25:54Z")
Statistics are skewed all the time by anomalous events, that doesn’t make them bad statistics. They can be footnoted etc., but they are homicides and they took place in NYC. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8621 "2025-09-25T19:00:16Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > [@psychonaut](#): > > > > Gene and Roger: _Siskel & Ebert_ > > That seems so obvious now, but I kept going to Gene Autry and Roy Rogers for some dumb reason. It was easy for me, because in my family, we always called their show “Gene and Roger” instead of “Siskel and Ebert.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=430) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=432)