76 replies to this topic

[Davidson Deac II]

No, unless they start taxing all charities.

[rodeo]

churches aren't automatically charities.

[SZ James]

churches aren't automatically charities.

not even charities are automatically charities :/

thats fuged up

[Davidson Deac II]

Only in that the IRS rules for churches are slightly different than they are for other types of charities. But all churches are automatically treated as charities for tax purposes as long as they follow the IRS guidelines for religious organizations.

[Darth Biscuit]

as for the argument at hand, i really don't know. i think tax exemption is fair in principle because the majority of churches pour a significant portion of their income into outreach programs domestically and internationally. where the line becomes blurry is when you get certain churches inviting politicians to campaign stumping opportunities at the pulpit (when i was a brainwashed republican highschooler the pastor of my fundamentalist southern baptist church invited noted asshole vernon robinson take twenty minutes before the sermon to campaign for himself, just as an example.)

I was also quite involved with a similar church some years ago, was on the financial stewardship comittee, (which was a complete farce, and one of the things that led to me leaving the church altogether) and I don't remember the actual figures, but very little of the approximately half million dollar budget actually went to anything but church operating expenses and pastor/staff salaries...

I suspect that this is fairly typical of most churches. They are charities alright... for pastors.

[gospodin shuttlesworth]

churches aren't automatically charities.

in fact, some of them are hate groups

[Davidson Deac II]

I was also quite involved with a similar church some years ago, was on the financial stewardship comittee, (which was a complete farce, and one of the things that led to me leaving the church altogether) and I don't remember the actual figures, but very little of the approximately half million dollar budget actually went to anything but church operating expenses and pastor/staff salaries...

I suspect that this is fairly typical of most churches. They are charities alright... for pastors.

Its fairly typical of many non religous charities as well. Leaders of organizations such as Redcross and United Way make several hundred thousand a year. That alone doesn't mean they shouldn't be designated as charities, or lose their tax exempt status.

[PhillyB]

I was also quite involved with a similar church some years ago, was on the financial stewardship comittee, (which was a complete farce, and one of the things that led to me leaving the church altogether) and I don't remember the actual figures, but very little of the approximately half million dollar budget actually went to anything but church operating expenses and pastor/staff salaries...

I suspect that this is fairly typical of most churches. They are charities alright... for pastors.

how much were the pastors making?

i'm ok with pastors getting salaries, as running a church is a shitload of work, but i've known guys who never really worked jobs and just went straight into a ministry, worked part-time at it and wouldn't take an outside job, and got paid a pretty decent salary for it.

[pstall]

if you do this, try to make it where if a church is to not get taxed that much, make sure its due to putting money or time or talent into groups or for those that need it.

i basically say this with anything related to taxes. raising taxes is easy and more often than not,the Democrats god. can you show the people you will spend it wisely?
i mean they can raise taxes by 40% next year and it doesn't mean all of our financial issues go away or suddenly public schools start cranking out Rhodes scholars.

[twylyght]

In my opinion, the Fair Tax would fix a lot of this. Discriminating who pays taxes and who doesn't is an abomination to liberty.

The way that "fair share" is thrown around is nothing but that... it is simply looking to redraw the lines to job the system in favor of personal bias at everyone else's expense.

[gospodin shuttlesworth]

the "fair" tax wouldn't fix anything. replacing basically all taxes with a sales tax would only exacerbate the problems america faces. i'd be more receptive if income equality was actually a thing in america but sadly it's not, and a "sales tax only" model would crush the middle class and the subsequent decrease in revenues would crush the poor

[natty]

If a church is charitable then give them a break. If a corporation is charitable then give them a break.

Exempt actions, not entities. Simple as that.

[twylyght]

the "fair" tax wouldn't fix anything. replacing basically all taxes with a sales tax would only exacerbate the problems america faces. i'd be more receptive if income equality was actually a thing in america but sadly it's not, and a "sales tax only" model would crush the middle class and the subsequent decrease in revenues would crush the poor

What qualifies as income equality for you? As for the rest of your statement, you clearly know next to nothing a out HR25

[gospodin shuttlesworth]

What qualifies as income equality for you?

true social mobility; equal pay and opportunity for all. it doesn't exist here in america.

As for the rest of your statement, you clearly know next to nothing a out HR25

oh, please tell me more about your dumb sales tax that was dreamed up and advocated by the rich, those who stand to gain an absolute poo-ton through its implementation at the expense of the poor and middle class.

[MadHatter]

true social mobility; equal pay and opportunity for all. it doesn't exist here in america.



oh, please tell me more about your dumb sales tax that was dreamed up and advocated by the rich, those who stand to gain an absolute poo-ton through its implementation at the expense of the poor and middle class.

You sound bitter and jealous that your bad decision making in life has left you with a crappy job and no money.