Religious Institutions

Washington Post:  “Instead of asking whether churches and religious organizations deserve to be tax-exempt, we should ask why governments should be able to tax them at all. Taxation, after all, involves interference by the state, and in a free society such interference needs to be justified.  The power to tax involves the power to destroy, as Daniel Webster argued in the Supreme Court nearly two centuries ago. While our government does have the right to levy taxes, it’s only because ‘We the People’ have authorized it to do so — in order to raise the funds needed to provide for the common good. But should we give our government this “power to destroy” over churches and religious institutions?“

Washington Post:  “Today, the IRS’s requirements for any group seeking tax-free status are relatively simple. The organization must be set up and operated “exclusively for religious, educational, scientific, or other charitable purposes,” its earnings shouldn’t benefit private individuals, it shouldn’t attempt to influence legislation or intervene in political campaigns, and its purpose and activities may not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy. The current IRS tax guide states that churches automatically qualify for federal income tax exemption under rule 501(c)(3) without even needing to apply. . . . But recent developments may mean things are about to change.”