Should Churches Get Tax Breaks?
INTRODUCTION
Brian Blanco for The New York TimesDoes the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s Holy Land Experience, a theme park in Orlando, really deserve a tax break?The Trinity Broadcasting Network has always been proud of its extravagant profits, but rarely mentions the extravagant tax breaks that fueled them. According to a recent lawsuit, the company provides mansions for executives and calls them “parsonages” to avoid property taxes, and it ordains TBN chauffeurs and sound engineers and performers at the Holy Land Experience theme park, meaning their pay is tax-free.
Religious exemptions from taxes and regulations are often thought of as separating church and state, but are they having the opposite effect — serving as a state subsidy for religious organizations? Should religious entities be subject to taxes and rules like labor and civil rights laws?
Read the debates here and what is your opinion?
Why? And which ones? All churches?
Quoting blues_pagan:Why?
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Yes they should.
Churches pay some taxes. They pay employment taxes and I believe they pay property taxes. But they should not have to pay taxes on donations.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
If I may add a question...
Why? And which ones? All churches?
Quoting blues_pagan:Why?
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Yes they should.
Quoting Godgaveme4:
All churches.
Churches pay some taxes. They pay employment taxes and I believe they pay property taxes. But they should not have to pay taxes on donations.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
If I may add a question...
Why? And which ones? All churches?
Quoting blues_pagan:Why?
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Yes they should.
I still think they should be tax exempt.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
That is incorrect. Churches currently are tax exempt, they do not pay property taxes.
Quoting Godgaveme4:
All churches.
Churches pay some taxes. They pay employment taxes and I believe they pay property taxes. But they should not have to pay taxes on donations.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
If I may add a question...
Why? And which ones? All churches?
Quoting blues_pagan:Why?
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Yes they should.
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Thank you. I was not positive.
I still think they should be tax exempt.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
That is incorrect. Churches currently are tax exempt, they do not pay property taxes.
Quoting Godgaveme4:
All churches.
Churches pay some taxes. They pay employment taxes and I believe they pay property taxes. But they should not have to pay taxes on donations.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
If I may add a question...
Why? And which ones? All churches?
Quoting blues_pagan:Why?
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Yes they should.
How would such a plan be implemented though?
Once again, why?
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Thank you. I was not positive.
I still think they should be tax exempt.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
That is incorrect. Churches currently are tax exempt, they do not pay property taxes.
Quoting Godgaveme4:
All churches.
Churches pay some taxes. They pay employment taxes and I believe they pay property taxes. But they should not have to pay taxes on donations.
Quoting Mommy_of_Riley:
If I may add a question...
Why? And which ones? All churches?
Quoting blues_pagan:Why?
Quoting Godgaveme4:
Yes they should.
Taxes are an act of law, something that religious institutions are exempt from by order of the Constitution, so no!
Churches are no exempt from law. The only thing that the Constitution covers is the freedom to exercise your religion and that the government will not establish one religion over the others.
Quoting Dzyre1115:Taxes are an act of law, something that religious institutions are exempt from by order of the Constitution, so no!
Lois Lerner, IRS Official, On Leave Of Absence: Reports
- blues_pagan
on Dec. 30, 2012 at 12:12 AM