Posted on 07/18/2006 6:51:34 AM PDT by Mr. Brightside
Today: July 18, 2006 at 6:30:28 PDT
IRS Warns Churches to Avoid Campaigning
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Internal Revenue Service has been warning churches and nonprofit organizations that improper campaigning in the upcoming political season could endanger their tax-exempt status.
In notices to more than 15,000 tax-exempt organizations, numerous church denominations and tax preparers, the agency has detailed its new enforcement program, called the Political Activity Compliance Initiative, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Under the initiative, the IRS plans to expedite investigations into claims of improper campaigning, no longer waiting for an annual tax return to be filed or the tax year to end before launching a probe. A three-member committee will make an initial review of complaints and then vote on whether to pursue the investigation in detail.
"While the vast majority of charities and churches do not engage in politicking, an increasing number did take part in prohibited activities in the 2004 election cycle," IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson said in a statement. "The rule against political campaign intervention by charities and churches is long established. We are stepping up our efforts to enforce it."
Since 2004, the IRS has investigated more than 200 organizations, including All Saints Church in Pasadena.
Two days before the 2004 presidential election, the Rev. George F. Regas, the church's former rector, delivered a guest sermon that pictured Jesus in a debate with George W. Bush and John Kerry. Although Regas didn't endorse a candidate, he said Jesus would have told Bush that his pre-emptive war policy "has led to disaster."
The church drew national attention when the Rev. Ed Bacon, rector of All Saints, disclosed the IRS investigation and later said the agency believed the church had violated federal tax code barring tax-exempt organizations from intervening in political campaigns and elections.
Church leaders have not heard from the IRS since October, when the agency said the investigation was being taken to a higher level, according to Regas. The IRS has not confirmed whether the investigation is still ongoing.
Of the 62 organizations determined by the IRS to be in violation, three lost their nonprofit status and 59 received warning letters. The three who lost their status were not churches, and some of those warned were ordered to pay an excise tax.
Federal law prohibits the IRS from releasing the names of those under investigation, but the agency said it has more than 100 cases pending and 40 of them are churches.
This month, OMB Watch, a Washington-based nonprofit government watchdog group, issued a report criticizing the IRS enforcement program and said the program could prompt retaliatory and harassment complaints unless the agency develops clear guidelines.
"I don't think this is a case of bad faith," said Kay Guinane, author of the report. "I just think it's a poorly structured program."
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Not necessarily.
But their silence and lack of action when black pulpits loudly campaigned, and passed the plate, for Democrats speaks volumes.
GO to any synagogue and you will witness first hand campaigning. I see it all of the time.
McCain is dead meat so far as my vote is concerned.
I'll vote for Ronald Reagan if I'm gonna have to vote for a dead guy.
You are correct. They know better.....follow the money!
The AP makes almost the entire article about CHURCHES,where he lies the actual story...who are these 3 groups?
How about ending any tax exemption for mosques, being as how islam is not a legitimate religion but an insane cult. I guess its OK to preach hatred for the west, but not OK to promote a political candidate. I'd be willing to bet my paycheck the IRS did not warn any mosques about this.
Soooooooooooo, how many JESSE JACK___SON, SHARPTON et al poliltical speeches in Black churches are going to trigger how many revocations?
I hope the GOP or some such sue the socks off idiots who perpetuate such an outrageous double standard.
"You're the only one who read the story. This is a "pile-on" thread, not a "read the story" thread. ;-)"
Sorry, I just don't know what I was thinking.
"Seriously though, the majority of these cases favor the Dems' candidates and hurt Conservatives."
You're probably right but I'd like to see some real numbers.
The IRS is a federal bureaucracy. Bureaucrats are natural constituents of a party that will consistently support expansion of their power and authority. The Party of the New Deal is the hero of the beltway.
According to Ann Coulter this would close down the church of liberalism.
Now that we've heard both opinions, it's clear to me that you are wrong and I am right.
Congress can't grant a privilege where the constitution has already spelled out the right.
So they collect the offering to God in the offering plates, they place them on the altar, and.....out of a side door in front of everyone walks a man in IRS garb up to the altar. He starts rummaging through the money they've just dedicated to God, they stare at him unbelieving his audacity, and he says to them, "I don't care which God you gave it to....this Federal god is walkin' out with some of it. Try to stop me."
Hardly. If you take some of what I intend for a certain purpose, then you hinder my intent. If my intent is hindered, then it is not free, but instead is restricted.
# Romans 13:1
[ Submission to the Authorities ] Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1-3 (in Context) Romans 13 (Whole Chapter)
# Romans 13:2
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Romans 13:1-3 (in Context) Romans 13 (Whole Chapter)
# Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Hebrews 13:16-18 (in Context) Hebrews 13 (Whole Chapter)
# 1 Peter 2:13
[ Submission to Rulers and Masters ] Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,
1 Peter 2:12-14 (in Context) 1 Peter 2 (Whole Chapter)
Jesse Jackson and lil' Tommy Daschle are deeply saddened
If a Church uses its property for nonexempt purposes then those activities are subject to tax.
Would you understand if I said that a coffee ministry inside a church is an outreach. In fact, anything that isn't connected to the mission of the church (make disciples of Jesus Christ) shouldn't even be in the church.
Therefore, everything a properly organized church does is mission related, and therefore, is religious in nature.
> Sorry, I just don't know what I was thinking.
That's okay. The Viking Kitties were napping, you're safe.
>> "Seriously though, the majority of these cases favor the Dems' candidates and hurt Conservatives."
> You're probably right but I'd like to see some real numbers.
That'll be tough to get agreement on, since the line of what constitutes an acceptable vs. unacceptable amount of pulpit politicking is up to the IRS, and they're notoriously uneven in their enforcement.
Then there's the question of absolute numbers vs. percentages. Suppose a dozen Republican churches and twenty Democrat churches cross the line; ten of each get in trouble for it. That's 83% of the Rep offenders and 50% of the Dem offenders. Is that balanced enforcement because it was ten each, or unfair because the percentages indicate they were picking on the Republicans?
Lots of ways to cut this particular lump.
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