Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

IRS Warns Churches to Avoid Campaigning
AP ^ | 7/18/06

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."

--


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: churchandstate; elections; firstamendment; irs; politicking
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 141-149 next last
To: tacticalogic

Is it free if you get taxed for every 10th word?


81 posted on 07/18/2006 10:52:35 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Supporting the troops means praying for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: Raycpa
These are the laws of this country under the constitutionm. If you don't like them, get the constitution amended.

C'mon now. You know better than that. The constitution says just what it needs to say. It's the interpretation of it that's being applied that doesn't make sense.

Is free speech free if I tax you for every 10th word?

82 posted on 07/18/2006 10:55:53 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Supporting the troops means praying for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: xzins
Is it free if you get taxed for every 10th word?

Of course not. Is it free if you might have to lay down your life for it? What is "free"?

83 posted on 07/18/2006 10:58:19 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: StJacques

I would have no problem with the IRS enforcing the tax-exempt provisions accorded to religious institutions provided that they did so fairly.

Tax exemption per-se is one thing.

Congress regulating political speech and exercise of religion on the basis of a tax exemption is another issue altogether.

The first Congress may do or not as they choose under Article I Section 8 of the Constitution.

The latter is forbidden to them under the 1st amendment. "For Congress shall make no law ... abriding the freedom of speech; or of the press."

To be honest, I don't trust the IRS to get anything right or to do anything fairly.

They are but the minions of Congress that makes the faux-statutes abridging freedom of speech in the first place. One should not expect hired hands to be any better than those responsible for setting the bad policy that enables those agents.

84 posted on 07/18/2006 11:11:00 AM PDT by ancient_geezer (Don't reform it, Replace it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: tacticalogic; P-Marlowe; Congressman Billybob; blue-duncan

So if it's not free if you're taxed for every 10th word, then why would it be free if someone takes some of my worship and gives it to someone else.

Giving to God IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP.

If it isn't free speech if you have to pay the government for the act of speaking, then why is it free if I have to pay the government for the act of worshipping.


85 posted on 07/18/2006 11:12:31 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Supporting the troops means praying for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: Raycpa
Has anyone explained cause and effect to you?

Majored in it in college.
86 posted on 07/18/2006 11:23:19 AM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: xzins

Is that a theological question, or a political question? There is only one form of government where they are one in the same.


87 posted on 07/18/2006 11:32:00 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: tacticalogic

It is about how the definition of free is getting bounced around.

Anyone who thinks churches need to be authorized by the IRS has no idea what freedom is or what a church is.

And the amendment is even more general....it says that congress can't prohibit my FREE exercise of my religion.

And giving to God is part of my religion.


88 posted on 07/18/2006 11:41:28 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Supporting the troops means praying for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies]

To: tacticalogic

One other point...some denominations take in a whole lot more money per member than do others. Others, because of their size, simply take in a lot of money.

If the government is in the habit of encouraging good business because it gets considerable revenue from business, do you think it is unusual that corporate welfare seems to favor the really large businesses over the others.

If they start pulling down a bunch of tax money from the ChurchoftheExhuberantGiver, do you think that politicians will be more likely to encourage that religion or to be neutral about it?

What if someone comes along saying, "Don't be any religion at all." Do you think the government will be more likely to look at how much they're collecting from churches and favor them, or do you think that they'll be more likely to say, "We don't care how much money we rake in from religion; We want all you churchgoers to stay home and stop giving."?


89 posted on 07/18/2006 11:47:39 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Supporting the troops means praying for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside
Wished-for follow-up story:

"Churches Warn IRS to Avoid Preaching"

90 posted on 07/18/2006 11:50:48 AM PDT by elkfersupper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside
add the NAACP to the list of exemptions
91 posted on 07/18/2006 11:57:03 AM PDT by martinidon (Bush won sKerry lost and Soro's is out millions for nothing!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xzins

Well, I guess if you choose to give all to God, then Ceasar is just out of luck.


92 posted on 07/18/2006 12:00:12 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside; nuke rocketeer; Red Badger; RasterMaster
From Newsmax November 7, 2000

Tuesday November 7, 2000; 9:37 AM ET

Jesse Jackson Jr. Says Church Politicking 'Supersedes the Law'

It may be against federal election law to campaign in church. But for Democrats seeking to get out the vote in minority districts, politicking from the pulpit has become indispensable.

In the last days of this year's campaign, Vice President Al Gore, Senate candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband have all made regular appearances at African-American and Hispanic churches.

Even when parishioners objected to Mrs. Clinton campaigning from the altar at a Rochester, N.Y., Catholic church last week, the rules were not enforced. Those who didn't like it were simply ejected by police while the first lady continued her campaign speech.

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., whose namesake is both a reverend and one of the Democratic Party's most vocal boosters, was challenged on the issue Monday during a Tennessee radio interview on WLAC-AM by "Nashville This Morning" hosts Steve Gill and Terry Hopkins.

GILL: Let me ask you about this. It's against IRS regulations for politicians to campaign from the pulpit. Why are these politicians campaigning in black churches?

JACKSON: I'm not totally convinced that's true in the African-American community. Certainly there's a separation of church and state. But in our community there's little distinction between our religion and our politics. ... And so in many African-American churches born out of experience in this country, the role of the churches has evolved into a very, very active political institution which has been very effective for a number of causes in the black community.

HOPKINS: And that supersedes the law?

JACKSON: Absolutely. Oh, absolutely.


93 posted on 07/18/2006 12:06:35 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too (It's still not safe to vote Democrat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tacticalogic

No problem, without a doubt atheists and agnostics will amply reward Caeser and assure the continued growth of Caeser's power.


94 posted on 07/18/2006 12:07:30 PM PDT by ancient_geezer (Don't reform it, Replace it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: xzins

I think as soon as you start talking about government looking to favor one religion over another, for any reason, you're talking about violating a basic constitutional principle.


95 posted on 07/18/2006 12:08:37 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer
No problem, without a doubt atheists and agnostics will amply reward Caeser and assure the continued growth of Caeser's power.

You are a free citizen of a self governing nation. You are Ceasar.

96 posted on 07/18/2006 12:11:18 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 94 | View Replies]

To: Political Junkie Too

I have friends who are members of the church in Rochester NY where Hillary campaigned. There was a lot of outrage over that one, I can assure you. That sort of thing was not appreciated.


97 posted on 07/18/2006 12:12:41 PM PDT by t_skoz ("let me be who I am - let me kick out the jams!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: tacticalogic

And you don't think they'd favor a denomination dumping huge amounts of money into government coffers over those that don't?

I think they would.

I think they find subtle (at first) ways to encourage folks to be a part of that religion instead of another.


98 posted on 07/18/2006 12:12:51 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Supporting the troops means praying for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 95 | View Replies]

To: ancient_geezer

Well obviously I cannot argue with your point that the very law abridges freedom of expression. But the fact of the matter is that the law is on the books right now and, whether I agree or disagree with any particular law, I want it enforced. There are too many churches who get a free pass from the IRS when they step into political campaigns and especially when they use their own funds to hold events organized for the exclusive benefit of a particular candidate. If the law says they should lose their tax-exempt status for doing that, then the law should be enforced.


99 posted on 07/18/2006 12:18:54 PM PDT by StJacques (Liberty is always unfinished business)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Raycpa

I wonder why the other day the "god ordained" IRS petitioned the court to drop all charges against a citizen for failing to file or pay income taxes. All he asked was for the section that required a person to file and pay income taxes in accord with requirements of being issued OMB numbers for their "god ordained forms".


100 posted on 07/18/2006 12:22:26 PM PDT by Goreknowshowtocheat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 141-149 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson