Should Churches Remain Tax-Exempt?

[Thumpalumpacus]

The Lord will provide. Leave the taxpayers alone.

The Lord does provide....the tax payers(really....only some like you) want their cut.

No. I want those churches to help support the society that provides them the religious freedom to worship without fear of oppression.

Render unto Caesar, and all that.

[IATIA]

Taxes could prohibit many from forming churches. It takes a lot of money to start and run a church.

If only that were true. Paying their fair share, however, will not stop them. We have yet to find any way to stop them.

[Jenny A]

First because individuals get to deduct contributions to churches (a thing I don't think should be allowed as it establishes religion) and therefore there is no double tax. And second because when other people pool their income for other purposes, we tax that income.

I ask for nothing more than equality.

We should get rid of tax deductions for donations to religious organizations and charities.

That wouldn't bother me particularly. Nor would eliminating tax deductions for educational organizations. The point is parity for like persons.

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Other non religious organizations get tax exemptions so your claim there is clearly errant. The reason churches get tax exemption is because people are entitled to the free exercise of religion. They are entitled to this freedom even when they join together and pool their resources.

Actually religious organizations get their deduction on the grounds that religious services and promotion are charitable. That's a dubious claim if you ask me. Since when is promoting your own ideas charitable? Of course churches also get to count real charity towards their charitable percentage. That's just fine so long as we are subsidizing charities.

The power to tax is the power to destroy is a position the Supreme Court has taken for almost 200 years. You can study taxes and the their effects if you want but it is already well established that if you tax something you get less of it. In fact the government uses taxes to curb consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Taxing churches would lead to less churches. It would in effect be a governmental action which obstructs the free exercise of religion. When such obstruction is unnecessary....it is forbidden by the constitution.

Ah. But the Supreme Court meant the power to tax a group particularly not generally. If cigarettes were taxed at the same rate as all other goods than there would be no power to destroy in taxing cigarettes. And that is the point. Organizations that form to swap child care, to socialize, to exercise, etc. pay taxes. What is different about a church? Either all such organizations should pay taxes or they all should not.

Other non profits are required to fill out forms with the IRS presumably to document the fact that they are indeed not for profit. Should churches be required to document the fact that they are congregations of people pooling together their resources to engage in the exercise of religion? Well that is a completely different topic. Generally I don't think so because it is painfully obvious when people join together and pull their resources to engage in the free exercise of religion.

Really? I grew up in a church oriented family and churches also provided: teen programs which acted as a kind of day care and social club for teens; elderly care; knitting clubs; a library for church goers; concerts; a basket ball, volley ball, and baseball club; a singles group which was almost entirely social; not to mention social meals of all sorts. Oh and Bible school. Was is religious when I tooled copper? What about macrame?

What kind of information would you like to see churches document?

The percentage of money taken in actually going to real charity. That's all.

Should the pastors be required to send transcripts of their sermons to the IRS?

Hardly. But if they are claimed to be educational, a general synopsis would help. Better to just admit that they are neither charitable nor educational and leave it at that.

People who donate are already required to list the name of the church they donate too if they deduct those donations from their taxes. Should churches be required to send list of their benefactors? Why? Just because other groups have to? Well to be frank....that is a silly reason.

Equality is a very good reason. Either churches should be required to or other organizations excused.

[Nope]

Let me get this straight. I was taught that Christianity survived the Roman Empire, The Soviet Union and various other unfriendly regimes but somehow the modern church can't survive if the government asks it to fill out a few forms?

[Godscreated]

Let me get this straight. I was taught that Christianity survived the Roman Empire, The Soviet Union and various other unfriendly regimes but somehow the modern church can't survive if the government asks it to fill out a few forms?

It would survive, we do not want what happened then to happen now, actually I would say somethings about taxing churches but, it would get misconstrued and or misused, been here to long to feed some of these people ammunition to misuse.

GC

[robvalue]

So... Christians believe God is all powerful. He can do anything!

But the only thing propping up his religion is tax cuts? Methinks some people really don't think God has any power at all. Like I say, this is because people are worshipping a book.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

How about showing how a church being required to pay tax impedes on the free exercise of religion? Why do they get special treatment that no one else gets?

Who is actually being denied this treatment? Everyone is entitled to get together with other people and pool their resources to engage in the free exercise of religion. If you choose not too, that is a choice you are making.

And that's still a choice you make if there is a tax levied, too, isn't it?

[The Grand Nudger]

People also choose whether they want to attend services at an exempt church..or a for-profit church. Churches, also(as a body)..decide whether or not they wish to be exempt. Churches are -already- subject to tax law, and it hasn't prohibited the free exercise of religion in the least.

[robvalue]

Last I was aware, the government has to decide whether or not you are a religion, and you need a minimum number of members, to get this exemption.

Is this still the case? If so, this is clear discrimination against minority religions.

[The Grand Nudger]

Nah, they just determine whether or not you qualify as a charitable organization. You could exempt the Church of Cream Cheese, if you had a mind to.