David L. Thompson of the National Council of Nonprofits said extending the provisions permanently makes "perfect sense," explaining that permanence is highly preferable to renewing provisions retroactively because it allows donors to plan.

"Permanent means you can make a donation when there's a tornado in your community and you immediately roll over directly to charities meeting those needs," Thompson told Tax Analysts, referring to how a permanent IRA provision would work. "You don't wait until December 29 to find out whether Congress is going to allow you to support your community."