The House voted to block the Internal...

The House voted to block the Internal Revenue Service from taxing collegiate bowl games and other major sporting events on the $1 billion in contributions they receive each year from sponsoring corporations.

The revenue saved by those sports organizations would be made up by taxing thousands of charities and other nonprofit groups on rebates they are paid for purchases their members make on “affinity” credit cards.

A bill making the changes was passed on a 296-123 vote and sent to the Senate. It is scheduled to be considered today by the Senate Finance Committee.

The legislation grew out of IRS efforts last year to tax the Cotton Bowl on the estimated $1.5 million a year it receives from the Mobil Corp. and the John Hancock Bowl, formerly the Sun Bowl, on the similar payment it receives from the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co.