Should the press be taxed?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

(Inspired by a recent post by @Sapiens)

I've seen a number of people argue that freedom of religion requires that churches not be taxed.

I've heard a couple of different reasons for this:

- prohibiting taxation outright prevents governments from taxing churches (either all of them or specific ones) out of existence.

- even moderate taxation would divert money from the church's activities, thereby making it less free to act as it sees fit.

But here's the thing: religious freedom isn't the only freedom that matters. A similar case could be made for exempting the press from tax: heavy taxation on the media could kill a free press, and even moderate taxation makes it more difficult for the press to do its job.

But, in general, media outlets are taxed like any other business. I know of no country where the press is tax-exempt.

So... those of you who support tax exemptions for churches in the name of freedom of religion: do you also support tax exemptions for the press in the name of freedom of the press? If not, why not?

 

[Kemosloby]

(Inspired by a recent post by @Sapiens)

I've seen a number of people argue that freedom of religion requires that churches not be taxed.

I've heard a couple of different reasons for this:

- prohibiting taxation outright prevents governments from taxing churches (either all of them or specific ones) out of existence.

- even moderate taxation would divert money from the church's activities, thereby making it less free to act as it sees fit.

But here's the thing: religious freedom isn't the only freedom that matters. A similar case could be made for exempting the press from tax: heavy taxation on the media could kill a free press, and even moderate taxation makes it more difficult for the press to do its job.

But, in general, media outlets are taxed like any other business. I know of no country where the press is tax-exempt.

So... those of you who support tax exemptions for churches in the name of freedom of religion: do you also support tax exemptions for the press in the name of freedom of the press? If not, why not?

Tax the press because they are a business. Churches operate on donations, no tax. If a church runs a business such as a school, derives income from investments etc. tax it.

 

[Stevicus]

Churches are non-profit entities. Non-profit businesses are exempt from tax. I don't know if there's any non-profit press, although I suppose there could be.

 

[bobhikes]

Churches are non-profit entities. Non-profit businesses are exempt from tax. I don't know if there's any non-profit press, although I suppose there could be.

In the US we have PBS Public Broadcasting Station but Trump is cutting its funding so it may not be around long. The MacNeil/Leher Report was a fine example of non-profit press.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Tax the press because they are a business. Churches operate on donations, no tax. If a church runs a business such as a school, derives income from investments etc. tax it.

Wait... are you arguing that taxation doesn't infringe on the freedom of a for-profit press, or that for-profit press shouldn't be entitled to freedom of the press?

Edit: same question for @Stevicus

 

[Kemosloby]

Wait... are you arguing that taxation doesn't infringe on the freedom of a for-profit press, or that for-profit press shouldn't be entitled to freedom of the press?

Edit: same question for @Stevicus

Taxation doesn't infringe on their freedom. Unless you mean coercive taxation, which should be illegal since we're all supposed to be free. Any taxation which limits a church or the press's freedom should be illegal for everybody.

 

[Sapiens]

Taxation doesn't infringe on their freedom. Unless you mean coercive taxation, which should be illegal since we're all supposed to be free. Any taxation which limits a church or the press's freedom should be illegal for everybody.

There are special tax bills written for all sorts of industries, companies, even individuals. They can be written to help or to hurt.

 

[Stevicus]

Wait... are you arguing that taxation doesn't infringe on the freedom of a for-profit press, or that for-profit press shouldn't be entitled to freedom of the press?

I don't believe taxation infringes on their freedom any more than it would on any other for-profit business or individual who is taxed.

I would never argue that for-profit press be denied freedom of the press, although I have seen some limitations on commercial speech (such as outlawing cigarette advertising on TV and radio).

 

[psychoslice]

The Catholic church is one of the biggest financial powers on earth, I wonder if they pay taxes within the church itself ?.

 

[fantome profane]

It is an interesting idea. I agree that a free press is much more important to a free democratic society than a church is. But no, I don't think they should have tax exempt status, for two reasons. First, as has been pointed out news organisations are for-profit businesses. If someone wanted to create a news organisation that really operated on a non-profit basis (which could be done and is an interesting idea), but otherwise a for-profit business should not be tax exempt. And the second, and I think the more important reason, is that any tax-exempt status would have to come with certain conditions, to make sure that it really is a free news organisation. And no matter how reasonable those restrictions are, the government would be in a position to threaten to take away that tax-exempt status, for legitimate or illegitimate reasons. I have argued in the past that the tax-exempt status of churches works against freedom of religion and free expression, not for it. It involves the government and the church more than it separates them. And this would be the same.

 

[Revoltingest]

Churches are non-profit entities. Non-profit businesses are exempt from tax. I don't know if there's any non-profit press, although I suppose there could be.

Churches are also exempt from property taxes.
This should change.

 

[Kemosloby]

There are special tax bills written for all sorts of industries, companies, even individuals. They can be written to help or to hurt.

Yeah, those are coercive and don't belong in a free society.

 

[Stevicus]

In the US we have PBS Public Broadcasting Station but Trump is cutting its funding so it may not be around long. The MacNeil/Leher Report was a fine example of non-profit press.

That's true, although PBS does get a lot of corporate sponsorship and pledges from membership drives. I don't think they'll disappear any time soon, although we might see more commercial breaks.

 

[Deidre]

Only when they lie. So, I guess they'd be taxed a lot.

 

[Stevicus]

Churches are also exempt from property taxes.
This should change.

Is that just for churches, or do secular non-profit organizations also get an exemption?

Do they also get exemptions from sales taxes?

 

[Stevicus]

Only when they lie. So, I guess they'd be taxed a lot.

A liar's tax. That sounds like it might be an interesting idea. We could probably pay off the entire national debt that way.

 

[Revoltingest]

Is that just for churches, or do secular non-profit organizations also get an exemption?

No exemptions!

Do they also get exemptions from sales taxes?

I don't know.
But they should pay it.

 

[Brickjectivity]

In the past religious groups have attempted to use government to dominate society and promote themselves, sometimes through government taxation. Press is a different kind of thing. We don't tax churches, because taxing them gives them a voice in government eventually. It involves them in government, and the tax money that flows from the church taxes creates a conduit for graft.

 

[Sapiens]

Tax everyone, give the increased income derived from the churches to PBS.

 

[Stevicus]

No exemptions!

I don't know.
But they should pay it.

Maybe, although I think tax collectors might be afraid to go into churches, just like we see in this footage of a future tax collector being scared of a church: