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Exempt their charitable operations (if they have any). Make them pay taxes on everything else.
We wouldn't let any other business get out of paying all taxes just because they happen to make the occasional charitable contribution.
Good point. The parishioner can get a tax deduction for making that "donation" to their local church. Guess that kind of puts a hole in the "the money has already been taxed" argument...
That makes zero sense, you realize. First, go to every single non-profit in the country, and you'll find that there's a significant portion of their operations that must exist to simply keep things going. And it would be a nightmare to determine where the line falls as to what is taxable and what is not.
Second, every contribution you make to every non-profit is tax-deductible. Duh.
Look, I get it. You don't care for religion. But that doesn't mean your hostility to faith-based organizations allows you to single them out for persecution, or to ignore the fundamentals of non-profit organizations everywhere.
Churches range from money making schemes (scientology comes to mind) to ones that provide many social services. There are of course mainline churches that do little and some that do much. Inner city churches feeding homeless come to mind as ones that do much.
Our church gives many thousands of dollars to a home for former prostitutes and drug addicted women. We also send about 50 members each year to help fix houses in the inner city and like 20 a year fly to The Dominican Rep at their own expense to upgrade Dominicans' homes often being as simple as giving these people a concrete floor rather than a dirt one.
Methinks the bulk of the tax gripers on this thread are type 2 athiests.
type 1 athiest = simply does not believe in god and goes on their way in life. Good bad or indifferent.
type 2 athiest = atheism is their religion in a sense. They do not believe in god and want to rid the world of religion because "they are right and believers are idiots"
If atheism is a religion, should they also be tax exempt?
If atheism is a religion, should they also be tax exempt?
Well, duh. If they formally incorporate and follow all the IRS rules, then they are just as tax-exempt as the Catholic, Baptist, or Methodist church down the street. Why is this so hard for you to grasp?
With that amount of money, I bet they do need to "park it!" God forbid that they use it to build schools or feed the starving!
Or allow you to take it, right? Tell me jojajn, if you take it all and give it to government, how do you expect them to build schools or feed the starving next year, because thats why the investments exist..
You do realize that they do both of those things, right?
Well, duh. If they formally incorporate and follow all the IRS rules, then they are just as tax-exempt as the Catholic, Baptist, or Methodist church down the street. Why is this so hard for you to grasp?
I'm starting to think that an entry level business class should be mandatory in high school. Its impossible for me to believe that so many grown adults dont know this.
Thats weird, I know of numerous schools right in my own area run by the churches, and I also know a few people who go on church functions to places like Africa, and help feed the poor..
Are you telling me these people are lying to me and the schools dont exist?
You still dont get it do you? Its under the guise of NON PROFIT STATUS.. Like homeless shelters, and the Red Cross.
Do you think homeless shelters should be taxed? How about the Boys and Girls clubs? Why do you hate the poor jojajn? How about the sick, becuase most hospitals are tax exempt as well. Do you hate the sick also?
I totally agree. Churches do a lot of good in the community and are not in business to make a profit. Profits are what is taxed when you run a business. The money a business makes for those of you who are getting a free ride paid for by me. Gee it is sure funny the libs are not asking the same question about Planned Parenthood, Acorn, Unions, but always pick on churches.
Put it this way, I was poor. Flat broke actually. I went to a local church and got help and counseling I needed to find a job. I am employed now. Even looking into taking a few courses to improve my job skills. The help of my church saved me from going on food stamps, Medicaid, and looking to other taxpayer supported programs. Therefore, this church saved the taxpayers money.
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