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Should religious organizations pay taxes?
- Thread starter Imagist
- Start date
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
They should.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
Unless they're charitable and do something that actually serves the community as a whole without any bias or agenda, then they should indeed be taxed just like everyone else.
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
Because, in theory, they are non-profit organizations and provide a service to the community. If forced to pay taxes, many would not be able to exist and, whether you believe their theology or not, communities would suffer if the services they provide were to suddenly disappear. Yes, I'm sure there are abuses, but I see the benefits outweighing the bad.
Separation of Church and State. If churches paid taxes, they would have more control over the government than they do. You would have little to no choice in if they taught creationism or ID or whatever they wanna call it nowadays. Abortion would probably be totally illegal. Death Penalty would be enforced more often (which I agree with). SS couples would probably be outlawed if not homosexuality all together. And there would be a ton of far left liberals going absolutely nuts. And possibly Civil War, by the time it was all said and over with.
SoyLeche
meh...
It probably has something to do with the fact that taxes can be used as a form of control, as was seen in the recent AIG mess (you did something we didn't like, so we're going to punish you by raising your tax rate).
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
You make it sound like all religious folk of all religion are all united on such issues. It has been my experience that they are not.
You are correct. But the number 1 religion in the U.S. is undeniable Christian. And the majority of Christians are not as open minded and accepting as my brand. I should have stated that is what I fear would happen if churches had to start paying taxes.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I could deal with a tax free status for religious groups and live-in monostaries who demonstrates a clear benefit to the public, say through charity, or such being used solely as a communal place of worship etc.
On the other hand, there can be so much abuse of the tax free status in which the abuse becomes woefully apparent when you happen to come across a street lined up with a "church" every three to four houses down and most conveniently connected with apartments and or personal residences. Not too hard to see the big picture regarding this particular racket, as to where a person lives upstairs and worships downstairs. Just find enough people to sign on as a "congregation", file for non-profit status, and your in tax free bliss. Nice way to personally acquire tax free housing and land for oneself, not to mention the income potential that comes along along with a tax free arrangement.
-NM-
(disclaimer: I'm speaking from a Canadian POV. I don't know tax law in the US all that well, if at all)
On the one hand, because most of them are run as non-profits. Personally, I've got no issue with a non-profit church not paying taxes just like any other non-profit organization. My car club doesn't pay taxes and I have no issue with someone else's god club not paying taxes either.
However, I do have a problem with a few aspects of the tax treatment of churches:
- the assumption of charitable status. Many activities of religions are not inherently charitable. For example, the expenses associated with maintaining the congregation's meeting space are no more inherently charitable than some other club's expenses to maintain a clubhouse would be. I recognize that many (though not all) churches do plenty of good work, but I think that if it's going to be afforded charitable status, then it should meet the normal requirements of a secular charity. If that means spinning off the "charity" part of the church from the rest of it for legal and accounting purposes, so be it. IMO, only the actually charitable aspect of a church should receive tax treatment as a charity.
- the treatment of for-profit churches as non-profits or charities. If you operate as a business, you should be taxed as a business.
In my ideal society, the government would be blind to the religious nature of an organization. A charity shouldn't be subject to tax just because they're affiliated with a church, but at the same time, a church that effectively runs as a for-profit business shouldn't get exempted from taxes just because they're a church.
Why do you say that? I really don't get how you link taxation with church control of government.
Imagist
Worshipper of Athe.
This is no different from small businesses.
Storm
ThrUU the Looking Glass
They're not businesses.
Imagist
Worshipper of Athe.
Or, they would be forced to go secular and provide the same services without wasting money on proselytism.
Imagist
Worshipper of Athe.
Just because the church pays tax doesn't mean it gets to vote.
Storm
ThrUU the Looking Glass
Ah, so this isn't about whether religious organizations should pay taxes. It's about trying to stamp them out. Excellent argument for allowing them to remain tax-free.
BTW - it just occurred to me that the tax laws might not work like Canada's in every other country. Just for reference, here's how things break down here... at least with secular organizations:
- charity: pays no taxes, donations to it are tax-deductible, has to be registered with the government, be engaged in socitally beneficial activities and meet strict rules.
- non-profit organization: pays no taxes, but donations aren't tax-deductible, has to be registered with the government and meet certain conditions, but the conditions are nowhere near as strict as for a charity.
- business: pretty well anything else.
- charity: pays no taxes, donations to it are tax-deductible, has to be registered with the government, be engaged in socitally beneficial activities and meet strict rules.
- non-profit organization: pays no taxes, but donations aren't tax-deductible, has to be registered with the government and meet certain conditions, but the conditions are nowhere near as strict as for a charity.
- business: pretty well anything else.