The state Senate on Monday passed a bill allowing New Jersey's towns, counties and school districts to set up charitable funds to accept property taxes and foil President Donald Trump's tax reform, despite concerns the scheme won't get past the Internal Revenue Service.

The bill (S1893), approved 28-9, instructs these taxing bodies on operating charitable foundations that would reward contributions from homeowners with property tax credits so they can claim the donations on their federal income tax returns.

The funds are designed to circumvent a new $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions installed as part of Republican-led tax reform.

Deductions for charitable contributions are unlimited.

As proposed, property owners would receive a 90 percent tax credit -- ostensibly to stand up to IRS scrutiny -- for contributions to their town, county or school district's charitable support fund. And if an owner's tax credits exceed their net property taxes owed, the fund would roll the credits forward for up to five years.

State Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, a sponsor and chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, called it a "short-term measure to deal with how New Jersey taxpayers got their teeth kicked in by the scheme by Congress to eliminate our SALT deduction."

Opponents of the bill warned the IRS won't be so easy to outwit, and New Jersey homeowners could get socked by penalties and interest payments once the jig is up.

It's unclear how the IRS will receive these workarounds, with many tax experts advising it won't pass muster.

State Sen. Steven Oroho, R-Sussex, said he doubted the likelihood of success.

"You have to give something and get nothing back in return," Oroho said. "I think it's going to be a pretty high bar for our residents to defend that on their tax return, and I actually think the IRS and treasury secretary actually kind of telegraphed that already."

Lawmakers should instead focus on attacking the cost of government, said state Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-Morris.

State Sen. Nia Gill, D-Essex, said she was concerned the bill will create different classes of people, including those whose mortgage companies won't go to the lengths of working under this system, and those without mortgages.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.