Should churches that don't perform gay marriages lose their tax-exempt status?

[cinyc]

Discuss.

[Famous Mortimer]

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

[JerryArkansas]

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I try to be only as much of a culture warrior as is actually necessary, so of course not.

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

People who hold this position tend to have a poor understanding of why they have it in the first place.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

No. In 50 years many of them won't have enough money to survive whether they pay taxes or not. So whatevs.

[TDAS04]

Nope.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

I try to be only as much of a culture warrior as is actually necessary, so of course not.

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

People who hold this position tend to have a poor understanding of why they have it in the first place.

I am curious, in your view, why do they have it in the first place?

[DrScholl]

I know it helps them be able to do non-profit and charitable work.

[DC Al Fine]

I try to be only as much of a culture warrior as is actually necessary, so of course not.

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

People who hold this position tend to have a poor understanding of why they have it in the first place.

And are completely ignorant of how taxation works to boot.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I try to be only as much of a culture warrior as is actually necessary, so of course not.

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

People who hold this position tend to have a poor understanding of why they have it in the first place.

I am curious, in your view, why do they have it in the first place?

Because they're nonprofits.

[DC Al Fine]

To answer the OP, no of course not. Churches like all other non-profits should be tax exempt. I also support extending the property tax and sales tax exemptions to all non-profits.

[JerryArkansas]

I try to be only as much of a culture warrior as is actually necessary, so of course not.

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

People who hold this position tend to have a poor understanding of why they have it in the first place.

I am curious, in your view, why do they have it in the first place?

Because they're nonprofits.

Let me explain my position on the issue.  Small churches like my local one should have it, but these large mega churches who's pastors make hundreds of thousands a year, taking money from the poor, they don't need to be non-profit, they are making a profit, in false truths to the people.

[DC Al Fine]

I try to be only as much of a culture warrior as is actually necessary, so of course not.

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

People who hold this position tend to have a poor understanding of why they have it in the first place.

I am curious, in your view, why do they have it in the first place?

Because they're nonprofits.

Let me explain my position on the issue.  Small churches like my local one should have it, but these large mega churches who's pastors make hundreds of thousands a year, taking money from the poor, they don't need to be non-profit, they are making a profit, in false truths to the people.

Tax accountant here.

Would you care to suggest how the IRS would differentiate between the two kinds of churches without giving the government power to arbitrarily tax churches it doesn't like?

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

I try to be only as much of a culture warrior as is actually necessary, so of course not.

All churches should lose tax exempt status.

People who hold this position tend to have a poor understanding of why they have it in the first place.

I am curious, in your view, why do they have it in the first place?

Because they're nonprofits.

Let me explain my position on the issue.  Small churches like my local one should have it, but these large mega churches who's pastors make hundreds of thousands a year, taking money from the poor, they don't need to be non-profit, they are making a profit, in false truths to the people.

Tax accountant here.

Would you care to suggest how the IRS would differentiate between the two kinds of churches without giving the government power to arbitrarily tax churches it doesn't like?

A 100% tax should be sufficient.

[Badger]

Tax accountant here.

I always wondered why you were so dull.


(son of a CPA here)

[ag]

Emphatically no. This is a fundamental matter of separation of Church and State.

Then, again, religious marriage should be completely divorced from the civil marriage. Churches should be free to wed whomever they like in any manner they like without any interference from the state - and without that act having any civil consequences.

[Cubby]

Absolutely not. No church should be forced to hold gay weddings. In 20 years, eh maybe. Are churches allowed to forbid interracial marriages today?

But they should lose tax-exempt status if they campaign on political issues.

After gay marriage was legalized in Connecticut in 2008, there was a referendum question on the November ballot over whether or not to authorize a constitutional convention, solely in order to pass a gay marriage ban. The Catholic Church in my town had a sign on it's front lawn urging a "yes" vote. That should have been unacceptable. If they want to influence politics, then no more special treatment. Thankfully it was voted down in the ensuing Obama landslide.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

Absolutely not. No church should be forced to hold gay weddings. In 20 years, eh maybe. Are churches allowed to forbid interracial marriages today?

But they should lose tax-exempt status if they campaign on political issues.

That's status quo.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

Absolutely not. No church should be forced to hold gay weddings. In 20 years, eh maybe. Are churches allowed to forbid interracial marriages today?

But they should lose tax-exempt status if they campaign on political issues.

That's status quo.

That's the legal status quo. Not the status quo in reality.

Fair point. The Mormon Church should've gotten their exemption revoked after the shenanigans they pulled in 2008.

[bedstuy]

Republican concern trolls should lose their tax-exempt status. 

[DC Al Fine]

Absolutely not. No church should be forced to hold gay weddings. In 20 years, eh maybe. Are churches allowed to forbid interracial marriages today?

But they should lose tax-exempt status if they campaign on political issues.

That's status quo.

That's the legal status quo. Not the status quo in reality.

Fair point. The Mormon Church should've gotten their exemption revoked after the shenanigans they pulled in 2008.

No that's not remotely how the regulations work.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

They should pay property taxes like all non-profits.

[TJ in Oregon]

Interestingly, if you made churches pay property taxes it would be the Evangelical-type suburban megachurch model that would most easily acclimate, not the smaller, older churches (predominately Catholic or mainline) that were built 100+ years ago in the middle of cities that would survive. Pretty much every church would need to be a suburban (or rural) type of place if that happened.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Absolutely not. No church should be forced to hold gay weddings. In 20 years, eh maybe. Are churches allowed to forbid interracial marriages today?

But they should lose tax-exempt status if they campaign on political issues.

After gay marriage was legalized in Connecticut in 2008, there was a referendum question on the November ballot over whether or not to authorize a constitutional convention, solely in order to pass a gay marriage ban. The Catholic Church in my town had a sign on it's front lawn urging a "yes" vote. That should have been unacceptable. If they want to influence politics, then no more special treatment. Thankfully it was voted down in the ensuing Obama landslide.

So if the pastor speaks out against rounding up undocumented immigrants and sending them to camps, they should have their tax-exempt status revoked?  No thank you.

[Cubby]

So if the pastor speaks out against rounding up undocumented immigrants and sending them to camps, they should have their tax-exempt status revoked?  No thank you.

Point taken. They shouldn't be tax-exempt in the first place, but that's an argument for another day.