How the US government can stop 'churches' from getting treated like real churches by the IRS
Briefly

from The Conversation5 months ago
The IRS's decision to classify the Family Research Council as an association of churches raises concerns about potential abuses of tax-exempt status among organizations that may not fit the traditional definitions.
The Conversationhttps://theconversation.com/how-the-us-government-can-stop-churches-from-getting-treated-like-real-churches-by-the-irs-237922
Democratic lawmakers have expressed their alarm about specific groups obtaining church status to escape the scrutiny that comes with being classified as a charitable nonprofit, indicating a possible loophole in the system.
The Conversationhttps://theconversation.com/how-the-us-government-can-stop-churches-from-getting-treated-like-real-churches-by-the-irs-237922
In our paper, we argue for a reevaluation of the federal criteria defining what constitutes a church. Current tests for church status are often outdated and may exclude genuine religious organizations.
The Conversationhttps://theconversation.com/how-the-us-government-can-stop-churches-from-getting-treated-like-real-churches-by-the-irs-237922
The absence of a 990 filing requirement for churches reduces scrutiny, which can be problematic if organizations exploit this lack of oversight to benefit from tax-exempt status without meeting the intended definitions.
The Conversationhttps://theconversation.com/how-the-us-government-can-stop-churches-from-getting-treated-like-real-churches-by-the-irs-237922
Read at The Conversation
#tax-law #irs #nonprofit-advocacy #church-status #public-policy
[
|
]