Add an extra $71 billion to the economy, start taxing churches (legal, weapons)

[heavyweight]

Our economy could sure use the money and religion is a lucrative business.

I'd love to see a revenue (gross donations) threshold established where larger churches become taxable entities. The presumption is that these organizations are charitable. However, these mega churches are about lining the pockets of their leadership.

If you want to add an extra $71 billion to the economy, start taxing churches

[fibonacci]

$71bn, that's it? Tax the property, those are worth far more.

[Frank DeForrest]

Why is a good thing for the govt to have an extra $71 billion?

[AlongTheI-5]

Originally Posted by Frank DeForrest

Why is a good thing for the govt to have an extra $71 billion?

Especially since Mexico is paying for the wall.

[Bitey]

If you can add 71 billion dollars to the economy by taking money from A and giving it to B, just imagine how much we could stimulate the economy by liquidating the federal government.

[redwood66]

The government can't effectively manage the money they do get. Why in the hell should we give them more?

[1AngryTaxPayer]

That will buy a lot of weapons of war. Why not, let's do it. Right?

[rbohm]

how about instead we allow businesses to repatriate money that is overseas right now, by giving them a favorable tax rate, and getting a piece of between $2.6 and $4 trillion dollars. even at ten percent tax on that money, that would be between $260 to 400 billion dollars going into government coffers.

[craigiri]

Great idea - also it will legalize their current breaking of the law - that is, preaching politics from the pulpit.

I think this Great Country should be WAY past paying for superstition. Can you imagine...we are giving Mosques and Scientologists and even sex cults (under religious guise) our tax money. We have to each pay more do they get a free ride.

And it's not like those institutions are hurting. Just the opposite - some of them have billions and control vast holdings in real estate as well as other investments.

I'd so the same for a large percentage of "non-profit" charities, many of which do almost nothing except churn money.

Of course, these are the things a smart and modern society might do...so we naturally won't so them. After all, it's foolish to think our government would stand up to a Scientologists, Iman or Rabbi.

[neko_mimi]

I'm not saying I agree with imposing more taxes. But if we're going to tax businesses, churches should be treated the same. A church is nothing but a business, despite the fact that they pretend otherwise.