Tax exempt status for churches in USA

[DrZoidberg]

I must admit that I've never fully understood USA's tax exemption rules for churches. But I saw this and at no place in this article to they explain why they lost the tax exempt status

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/...break-twerking-parties/#.VQG6A_B4m3M.facebook

Can't partying drunk all night and debauchery be a religion? It looks to me that the American tax exempt status for churches is a legal loop hole just screaming to be exploited by atheists. What defines a religion in USA? What's the conditions that need to be met for tax exempt status?

 

[Sarpedon]

Its basically a subjective popularity contest. When a cult gets enough members*, it becomes a church. Anyone who doesn't act sufficiently pious doesn't.

*defined by having enough to maintain the requisite number of lawyers.

 

[ideologyhunter]

From my sketchy knowledge of the subject:
1- A church can lose its tax exempt status if the pastor makes explicitly political pronouncements, i.e., Vote for candidate X...but, in practice, many right wing congregations hear a steady diet of political speech and the IRS usually refuses to enforce the law.
2- There's a parsonage exemption whereby ministers are allowed to deduct housing expenses from their declarable income. This has been challenged by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, which got as far as district court before they were told they had no standing -- a ruling which has become too frequent when secularists try to hold the government to its Constitutional requirement to be faith-free. (FFRF is going to refile.)
3- This gives rise to the secularist meme that it's hypocrisy for the X-ters to scream that they don't want their tax dollars to support abortion or birth control -- while we secularists have to support their churches by filling in with the $$$ they aren't paying. Religiosity, it's grand, aint it.

 

[DrZoidberg]

Its basically a subjective popularity contest. When a cult gets enough members*, it becomes a church. Anyone who doesn't act sufficiently pious doesn't.

*defined by having enough to maintain the requisite number of lawyers.

But what government body is it that gives tax exempt status? How does it work? Sweden doesn't have this system. Over here nobody and nothing is tax-exempt.

 

[Sarpedon]

Oh, sorry. The IRS* has a board of some kind for that. I think it is made up of amoebas who react to being sued in certain intensities.

*Internal Revenue Service: (ie tax collectors)

 

[arkirk]

Its basically a subjective popularity contest. When a cult gets enough members*, it becomes a church. Anyone who doesn't act sufficiently pious doesn't.

*defined by having enough to maintain the requisite number of lawyers.

But what government body is it that gives tax exempt status? How does it work? Sweden doesn't have this system. Over here nobody and nothing is tax-exempt.

How big a thing is this? Just one such "church?" Is it raking in tons of cash? Then tax it. If it is just a passing fad here today and gone tomorrow, then why bother with it. They ought to be taxing the Mormon Church and any church that advocates in elections and runs department stores....maybe all churches with perhaps exemptions for the low income ones...that just so the pastor doesn't starve.

 

[DrZoidberg]

But what government body is it that gives tax exempt status? How does it work? Sweden doesn't have this system. Over here nobody and nothing is tax-exempt.

How big a thing is this? Just one such "church?" Is it raking in tons of cash? Then tax it. If it is just a passing fad here today and gone tomorrow, then why bother with it. They ought to be taxing the Mormon Church and any church that advocates in elections and runs department stores....maybe all churches with perhaps exemptions for the low income ones...that just so the pastor doesn't starve.

But surely religion is like any service? Any service the market isn't willing to pay for will lead to its provider to starve. That's just basic economics. That's how it works in Sweden and Sweden makes no pretences about being the land of the free

 

[arkirk]

How big a thing is this? Just one such "church?" Is it raking in tons of cash? Then tax it. If it is just a passing fad here today and gone tomorrow, then why bother with it. They ought to be taxing the Mormon Church and any church that advocates in elections and runs department stores....maybe all churches with perhaps exemptions for the low income ones...that just so the pastor doesn't starve.

But surely religion is like any service? Any service the market isn't willing to pay for will lead to its provider to starve. That's just basic economics. That's how it works in Sweden and Sweden makes no pretences about being the land of the free

Actually, religious preaching is a disservice performed by miscreants who care not one whit for the social order in which they exist. Letting them not starve is simply an act of kindness society usually sees fit to extend to its down and outs. It is fairly low cost and sometimes they can recover and eventually contribute something to society. This will not happen however if they are allowed to starve.

 

[bleubird]

Read and weep.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/13/living/creflo-dollar-jet-feat/index.html

 

[OLDMAN]

In Canada, I think you get tax exempt status if your a non-profit charity. Which requires certain regulations being met. Revenue Canada doesn't care if it is religious or not. At least that's what I think. Separation of church and state is a somewhat different kettle of fish.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

In Canada, I think you get tax exempt status if your a non-profit charity. Which requires certain regulations being met. Revenue Canada doesn't care if it is religious or not. At least that's what I think. Separation of church and state is a somewhat different kettle of fish.

Yeah, that's a much more sensible approach. Churches generally do little charity.

 

[arkirk]

Read and weep.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/13/living/creflo-dollar-jet-feat/index.html

This guy is a piece of work, like so many others...Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, and so many other televangelists branch out into everything from investment in conflict diamonds (Robertson) to huge real estate developments (Libertyville) to department stores (ZCMI). Some of these operations are downright criminal and others are pure tax dodges. I don't think merely being a church should exempt them from either taxation of their profits or criminal prosecution, yet they manage to soldier on, in their tax sheltered existence. Creflo Dollar tells you what he is about. His operation should be audited and appropriately taxed. These people were not what the government had in mind when it extended some tax relief to religious organizations. It should not exceed what we would call a small business, not a series of Tabernacles and department stores.

 

[ZiprHead]

Read and weep.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/13/living/creflo-dollar-jet-feat/index.html

This guy is a piece of work, like so many others...Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, and so many other televangelists branch out into everything from investment in conflict diamonds (Robertson) to huge real estate developments (Libertyville) to department stores (ZCMI). Some of these operations are downright criminal and others are pure tax dodges. I don't think merely being a church should exempt them from either taxation of their profits or criminal prosecution, yet they manage to soldier on, in their tax sheltered existence. Creflo Dollar tells you what he is about. His operation should be audited and appropriately taxed. These people were not what the government had in mind when it extended some tax relief to religious organizations. It should not exceed what we would call a small business, not a series of Tabernacles and department stores.

Yup, sounds like this guy was running a speakeasy and using church status as a legal cover. Sounds like just your basic slime-ball scammer.

Yes, church tax exemptions need to be reigned in. Your tabernacle can be exempt, maybe your parsonage too, but money making business endeavors, definitely not. And exemption status removal for political activities should definitely be strictly enforced.