When will the US begin taxing Churches?

[decay]

i've got it! we should keep pumping $2B a year of our own tax dollars into religious organizations, but cut unemployment.

that way, when all the people who've been downsized lose their houses/apartments, they'll still have a soup kitchen to eat at.

that'll help the economy.

[Ryan Stewart]

They should be taxed but wont.

[mrsleeve]

the more I think about this, the more I see why they need to keep the tax exempt status.

But I still feel they should be paying property taxes, on any property or holdings other than the church buildings respectively. So any homes or other property the church owns needs to be taxed at the same property rates as anyone else than may own it.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Who said only estate tax, or specifically estate tax at all.

I am talking about taxes on the income of a religious, non-profit organization.

[Wiglaf]

you guys seem to think that having to pay estate tax somehow undoes the separation of church and state. It doesn't. EVERYONE has to pay that, they should too. If it is so important to people then they should be able to get the money to cover it.
For the other thousands of "churches" well they will have to find a different loophole to squirm out of paying their dues.

[Farbin Kaiber]

lol. I only been here a year, and I already made it the center of the universe. Copernicus can suck it.

[mightywhitey]

Canada is remote with people who just dont get it...















But IDAHO is the center of the fucking Universe.

[Farbin Kaiber]

No, you don't seem to understand, to prevent the Government from plying the separate religious groups, the separation of the two entities, was purposeful, not to supply education and medical care, but to prevent people from voting in specific people under duress of their eternal spiritual well being.

I understand you guys up there just go out from under the Queen just a few decades ago, whereas we got out from under that a few centuries ago. I wouldn't expect you to understand.

[Massive Lee]

The amount of money they possess is not the point you ignorant foreigner. Maybe we need a Canadian Politics & Religion subforum for you to mettle in.

So... This is not about taxing the richiest business on earth? The estates on which churches are located are worth a lot of money. And cities shall send them a municipal tax invoice, just as with every business.

[Farbin Kaiber]

The amount of money they possess is not the point you ignorant foreigner. Maybe we need a Canadian Politics & Religion subforum for you to mettle in.

[Massive Lee]

Historically, religious organizations were exempt from paying taxes because they took care of education and hospitals. They don't do that anymore. So it's time to start paying. And don't worry, the Catholic church (among others) is extremely rich.

[joshh]

I'm pretty mixed on this one. I think in order to even get church status they have to prove...and keep proving they give to their LOCAL people. Programs of their own or even charity of any sort to the people in their city.

I have plenty of experience with Scientology and what it means to be a "Church".
Problem is I don't trust Government to control this one bit.

[ck_taft325is]

What is the "Church" so many of you are ready to tax? Which one? All of them? Then, what would define "Church"? There's a lot of base assumptions a few of you are operating out of. I'm neither here nor there, just trying to see exactly where everyone stands.

I do see that the Churches locally and in Seattle (Mars Hill, Acts 29, etc, etc...) have and are doing tons of good out reach, charity and the like.

[Frog]

wont happen as much as I would love to see this happen, it wont.

x2

[Farbin Kaiber]

There isn't a line, you have to take both, like allowing that Black Panther to scream about killing crackers and their babies, or letting you speak your mind on a forum.

No, they are not required to do any of that.

Most of the big televangelists pay themselves a $1/yr. salary, plus all expenses. Makes them look like saints. Saints with 2.46mil/yr in expenses. And two Bentleys.

Did I ever tell you guys about the time I met Randy White?