Should churches be taxed?

winn dixie's Avatar
I say YES! They should lose their tax exempt status.
churches run themselves as businesses, making investments but not paying their share.
Nay sayers will say theyre nonprofit! b/s! Some of the richest businesses on earth are the catholic and mormon churches.
Naysayers will then claim theyre charitable orgs.. b/s!
churches are biased to who they will contribute and help out.

Lets tax all churches as businesses.Close this loop hole.
winn dixie's Avatar
And why should clergy not pay their share in taxes?
Many get generous homes to live in free of charge.
... Some of 'em DO pay their fair share in taxes.
Where did you get the idea that Vicars and Ministers
didn't pay taxes??

... But while we're on the idea of churches paying
taxes on their land... Let's do the same with hospitals
and giant medical companys like UPMC.

What could be more fair than that?

#### Salty
Yssup Rider's Avatar
Yes. Unequivocally!

Tax them all.
ICU 812's Avatar
Well the church I am a member of is running a deficit budget with a negative $100,000 gap this year, while cooperating with a dozen other churches in a multi-denominational effort to support several homeless families with food and safe shelter. We also run a food pantry on our own. The Biden economy is not helping any of this.

That is pretty non-profit. Hope we can deal with the shortfall in some way.
Churches should be taxed. Hell I’m a firm believer all businesses should be taxed. And yes clergy should be taxed as well. I’m against almost all tax havens and “non-profit non taxed entities. Hell I believe the NFL and MLB are nonTax entities.
winn dixie's Avatar
Clergy do pay taxes, but they do heavily benefit from their jobs. Most clergy feel entitled to get special pricing everywhere.
If I understand correctly, only part of clergy or ministers wages are taxed. And their benefits, which would be wages were they working for a corporation aren’t taxed, like use of a company vehicle or plane.
winn dixie's Avatar
If I understand correctly, only part of clergy or ministers wages are taxed. And their benefits, which would be wages were they working for a corporation aren’t taxed, like use of a company vehicle or plane. Originally Posted by 1blackman1
Correct.

I believe no occupation should get tax breaks above others.
Well the church I am a member of is running a deficit budget with a negative $100,000 gap this year, while cooperating with a dozen other churches in a multi-denominational effort to support several homeless families with food and safe shelter. We also run a food pantry on our own. The Biden economy is not helping any of this.

That is pretty non-profit. Hope we can deal with the shortfall in some way. Originally Posted by ICU 812
I think the majority of churches in US are like the above. I don't think they should be taxed. Yes, some of them are big business but it's not worth killing off the good ones to get the few bad apples.

I've only been in a church once since my Mom died. That was to attend a funeral of a Jewish friend who his wife had the service in a Catholic church. He didn't catch fire or anything.

I don't think MY taxes are gonna go down if the politicians find a new teat like this to pull. Prove me wrong about that and I'll change my opinion quick as a bunny.
texassapper's Avatar
Hey here'sa crazy idea... instead of expanding the tax base, why doesn't the Federal government restrain their spending?

I know crazy idea....
Yssup Rider's Avatar
It is a crazy idea.

Unless you want the private sector to pay for your war against immigrants.

Shirley the local jurisdictions wouldn’t be so reliant on the feds if churches were to pay their fair share of state and local taxes.

Maybe you can get Joel Osteen to give some of that money you sent him to support this great country.
ICU 812's Avatar
It is a crazy idea.

Unless you want the private sector to pay for your war against immigrants.
. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider
Here is another crazy idea: Why not privatize control of the border? Convert the job of border control from a budget drain into a revenue producing stream.

Charge a licensing fee (or whatever you want to call it) to various organizations to shut down their two to five mile stretch of border.

I'll bet the Montana militia would get-'er-done in short order. It would give the Oath Keepers something to do too.

Mashugina!
Probably non tax for most local churches that can account for all money spent and can prove that a certain percentage like 70% went to the community. Multi billion $ national evangelical BS, tax the shit out of them.
Yssup Rider's Avatar
Here is another crazy idea: Why not privatize control of the border? Convert the job of border control from a budget drain into a revenue producing stream.

Charge a licensing fee (or whatever you want to call it) to various organizations to shut down their two to five mile stretch of border.

I'll bet the Montana militia would get-'er-done in short order. It would give the Oath Keepers something to do too.

Mashugina! Originally Posted by ICU 812
You could charge extra for the German Shepherds.

Then the churches frequented by the Oath Keepers could get a tax waiver. That is what we were talking about, right?

Mitsubishi!