IRS Warns Churches Against Campaigning

AP via Drudge ^ | Jul 18, 1:51 PM EDT

[aceintx]

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."

[aceintx]

that may be the law Hodar but it doesn't make it Constitutional...Pastors should be allowed to speak the truth as they see it not be forced to censor their speech to protect their tax exempt status....

[aceintx]

"I would agree only if Federal Funding to ANY school where teachers OR professors encourage DEMOCRAT/LIBERAL/SOCIALIST views and votes also LOSE THEIR FEDERAL FUNDING

What do you think ?"

AMEN Brother Traditional1....preach it

[aceintx]

I say let free speach prevail...whether it be leftist churches or conservative churches who cares what they say...they're Americans and have a right to say it....and since when is it your tax dollars supporting them. The government isn't taking the money in the first place and they're not giving it to them from the federal budget...I say keep the government out of the churches and end this censorship now!!!!

[MEG33]

I agree!

[aceintx]

I'll show you where you have to allow tax exemptions to churches in the constitution if you show me where the constitution gives the government the right to tax churches in the first place....if we're going to have true separation of chruch and state I'd say we should get the state out of the church and they should be put out of the business of telling churches what they're allowed to say!!!

[MEG33]

By exempting churches from taxation they are in effect giving them freedom to spend more money on their church and charitable endeavors..They by law are not free to use it to support a candidate.

Free speech can prevail as long as they don't mind giving up the tax exemption.

[aceintx]

"Is preaching that abortion and homosexuality are sins being political? That's the danger."

Dead on Conservativegreatgrandma, what paragon of vertue at the IRS get's to decide when a church or pastor has crossed the line?

When does free speech become political speech and when does the IRS get to restrict it?

[aceintx]

The government is not giving churches any money...the government is simply not taking the churches money....You sound like a Dummycrat saying that the government is giving me your money if the government doesn't take my money from me in the form of taxes. There is nothing in the first Amendment that says we have to tax subsidize churches.

[aceintx]

"But I will admit this might have started out a political ploy -- but it is a good rule, if evenly applied."

Sugar coat it if you must....It's Censorship PURE AND SIMPLE!!!!!!

[aceintx]

"White churches I suppose . They won't dare go after a black church I bet . . ."

You are all missing the point here...I don't care if it's evenly applied...I don't care if Liberal Chruches get a pass...I don't care if it's Jesse Jackson, Jerry Falwell or Sum Myung Moon...This is Censorship and it is wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aceintx]

"However, there is pressure to construe the restrictions more broadly than endorsing a candidate, and to speak out on issues generally, like same sex marriage if there is a referendum. I would hope the tax restrictions would be construed narrowly so as not to eviscerate the rights of churches to speak out substantively on moral issues of the day without fear of losing tax exemption."

Why go through all the twisting an turning to make sense of this...why not tell the IRS where to stick it and get the government out of my Church?

[aceintx]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, aside from prohibited activities; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, unless John McCain says so; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, except for when they shouldn't, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, so long as the content of the petition is approved by the Attorney General and the courts."

And the people said AMEN!!!!

[aceintx]

"A review of the IRC 501 c-3

Click on:

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:JTl709ypEZMJ:fpc.state.gov
/documents/organization/24677.pdf+congressional+law+for+tax
+free+churches&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4"

I could care less what it says franky...it is a breach of the first Amendment....Restricting what Churches can do with the tithes and donations of it's membership is censorship the IRC, the IRS and the Supreme court be damned!!!

[MEG33]

You don't care if George Soros gives millions to the church that is actively campaigning for a left wing candidate and it is all tax exempt? He gets a tax right off and the gift is tax free to the church? There are laws against this..and I am sick of the tax exempt churches and organizations twisting and breaking the law..

I agree they should be free to discuss the moral questions of the day.

It isn't censorship..They lose tax exemption not the right to speak freely.

[aceintx]

"This isn't a freedom of speech issue. This is a subsidized speech issue."

So it's the governments money freedumb2003?

You sound like John Kerry!

[dljordan]

"I went to sleep in America and woke up in the Soviet Union!"

I agree with you. Most churches do sign an agreement with the IRS though, 501c3 I think, and that's part of the deal. If they wanted to pay their taxes they could say what they wanted. When you lie down with dogs....

[MEG33]

You are off base..All they lose is a tax exemption..not free speech.

[aceintx]

This is the typical of the left wing...it's a back door way to get what you want when the Constitution clearly gets in your way! The constitution is plain in it's language but inconvenient when you want to shut up your opposition so you make the IRC apply to your opposition and use it to restrict what they say or do or they face punitive consequences....how American...

The Church collects donations from it's congregants it is not income to be taxed...

[aceintx]

"Did you feel the same when Kennedy was being promoted by the RC's in 1960? This is the very reason for the First Amendment. IMHO"

First of all, the 1960 campaign was before my time..... however...were I alive then I would have supported the right of the Roman Catholic Church to promote one of there own since it is their right as American Citizens to participate in the political process....My argument has nothing to do with Ideology, party or religion...it has to do with the subversive nature of using the IRC to tell a group of people who have joined together around an organizing theme what they are allowed to do or say!!

[aceintx]

Breaking away from the British crown was once a pulpit issue, as was abolition.

And Civil Rights...were the founding fathers alive today and were they told that if they advocate for a candidates view...of against that of his opponent...that they would be slapped with a punitive tax...or that an agency of the Federal Government would be able to confiscate church funds and property I think their reply would be three words:

"Lock and Load"