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Since the paper didn't explain about the music service, we don't know. However, my educatd guess is that they go to nursing homes, homeless shelters and the like to perform and give these people some happiness. When my mom was in a home, these programs were what she enjoyed the most. She was not in a religious home, but church groups came to visit and sometimes put on a program. And of all the services the paper discusses, you jump on music.
Music is nice, but it is not exactly an activity that lessens the burden of a municipality in providing services to its residents.
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And I would bet you lose. Since you do not attend church, how do you know what churches do? Lots of public groups, e.g libraries recruit from church groups to do tutoring. I have to say I do not understand your hostility to churches, in general, with the apparent exception of the "United Church" in your community.
As do Lutheran Social Services and the social service departments of many churches. Too bad you don't know anything about churches. LSS has helped many Muslim Somali refugees in Minneapolis and other communities.
I will give credit to any church that provides real service to the community. I've mentioned Catholic Social Services, and the Mennonites do a wonderful job integrating new immigrants into the broad community, without discrimination or prothleziation. My concern is those freeloaders, and there are many, many of them, who think because they believe in their favorite extraterrestrial spirit in the sky, that they should not contribute to the real world here on earth.
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Talk about moving the goalposts! Who in this thread ever suggested such a thing? Now I have seen libertarians here on CD suggest the churches provide pretty much all social welfare, but not in this thread, and I have gone on record as being against that as impossible. Many churches are struggling just to stay afloat.
Tough. Deal with it. I've sat on more than one non-profit board that had to deal with monetary challenges. We adapted and move on. Whining gets one nowhere. If your non-profit or church is worth existing, it will and find support.
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According to the link, about 90% do provide community service. Could you at least acknowledge you are totally uninformed about what churches do, and accept some willingness to learn?
I have acknowledge some, and in some communities many, do social services that relieve the community of services that otherwise would have to be paid by everyone. But let's not pretend that all or most churches have altruistic programs that service anyone outside of their own members. Most don't, especially in the South.
BTW, the 90% includes "ministry work". It's self serving, and I do not see that as contributing to the community in any way that reduces municipal costs.
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No, churches are exempt from paying sales taxes, just like the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, public and private non-profit schools, etc. There's no uproar because there's no "there" there.
You are so very mistaken. It depends on the State.
Some quick results where churches have to pay State sales tax:
Idaho:
"Are churches exempt from paying sales tax? No. Like most other nonprofit organizations, churches and religious organizations must pay sales tax on the goods they buy for their own use and collect sales tax on their sales."
Please get your facts straight. You rightfully insist on that in any discussion on vaccination, but for some reason don't keep your faith to veracity when it comes to church taxation.
"Thou Shalt Not Murder" is based in religion and secular. But all the same my argument was that everyone supports laws based upon their beliefs. Everyone.
True. Yes of course...
You continue to miss the point, my point anyway, but no doubt I can't help you with this if you still don't understand the difference between secular guidance (if you will) as it applies equally to all of us compared to theocratic guidance, regardless where overlap may occur. When religious beliefs align with secular determination, laws, no problem really, regardless whether any of us necessarily agrees with those outcomes. Of course we all tend to agree murder is not acceptable, regardless our faith or lack thereof. That's a no brainer regardless our beliefs, regardless what country, regardless what faith, pretty much everywhere, universally agreed upon.
When on the other hand, religious beliefs are contrary to secular consideration and determination, then because we are a secular society, contrary religious beliefs cannot and should not be part of the legal consideration or determinations that establish our laws, regardless whether you, me or anyone else is necessarily happy with the outcomes.
More simply put, if you or anyone can't understand why our founding fathers set in motion a secular government and/or society and why most Americans prefer or at least accept the secular path over the theocratic path, then again, I don't think I can help you better understand the point here (try as I have).
It is my experience that the LDS church is one of the churches that actually does provide community service. I think their religion is as wacky as Scientology, but knowing many Mormons, they do tend to be hard working, honest, very family oriented, extremely helpful to neighbors and community minded.
and illegal aliens cost about 100 billion plus.....your choice
Interesting figure and probably a bit off topic, but just curious about the revenue or "plus" side of the ledger you seem to be keeping with respect to the illegal alien P&L...
Right. Never mind!!! Who cares about proper accounting practice anyway?
LOL, did you even read the link you supplied? From the link above:
"Generally, states fall into three groups based on how they treat nonprofit purchases: broad, limited, or no sales tax exemption. Table 1 lists the states in each category. Most states (26, including Connecticut) provide a broad sales tax exemption for nonprofit purchases. The next largest group of states (15) exempts certain types of nonprofits or specific organizations from the tax. The third and smallest group – Hawaii, South Carolina, and Washington – does not exempt nonprofit purchases"
Apparently your president is. He's been harping against the Johnson Amendment for years, and told the IRS not to enforce it.
I can only guess what you are ranting about when I see ignorant posts like this one. I assume you are talking about Trump. I neither voted for Trump nor do I support him and you didn't answer my question.
It serves the community. Now you want to put qualifiers on "service", too?
LOL, did you even read the link you supplied? From the link above:
"Generally, states fall into three groups based on how they treat nonprofit purchases: broad, limited, or no sales tax exemption. Table 1 lists the states in each category. Most states (26, including Connecticut) provide a broad sales tax exemption for nonprofit purchases. The next largest group of states (15) exempts certain types of nonprofits or specific organizations from the tax. The third and smallest group – Hawaii, South Carolina, and Washington – does not exempt nonprofit purchases"
The details are in the link, and it is clear. Only 7 clearly exempt churches.
The details are in the link, and it is clear. Only 7 clearly exempt churches.
I just quoted your link. Read the whole damn thing.
So let's try this again:
One purchases by non-profits - are they required to pay sales taxes on purchases?
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Generally, states fall into three groups based on how they treat nonprofit purchases: broad, limited, or no sales tax exemption. Table 1 lists the states in each category. Most states (26, including Connecticut) provide a broad sales tax exemption for nonprofit purchases. The next largest group of states (15) exempts certain types of nonprofits or specific organizations from the tax. The third and smallest group – Hawaii, South Carolina, and Washington – does not exempt nonprofit purchases.
On sales by non-profits - are they required to collect sales taxes on items or services sold to the public?
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Eight states provide a broad exemption for nonprofit sales, while eight other states provide no general exemption. The largest group of states (28, including Connecticut) specifically limit the types of organizations that are exempt from collecting sales tax on their sales or the activities that qualify these organizations for an exemption. Most states do this by limiting the (1) number of permitted days per year for tax-exempt sales, (2) proceeds from the sales, (3) types of items eligible, or (4) the price per item in the exempt sales.
Anyway, the link seems outdated. I work for a non-profit in Pennsylvania, and we neither pay nor collect sales tax.
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