Shaykh @DrShadeeElmasry : Yes , you can give zakat to a mosque & request a receipt. The money the government is taxing is your money & they have no right to take it. They are taking it by force , so in whatever legal way you can get out of it , then do so. Some people treat taxes like zakat, they want to pay as much as they can & they want to have taqwa. You got it all wrong, you don’t need to have taqwa with Uncle Sam.