Entertainment, TV, Celebrity, Culture

Follow @2Paragraphs
  • Daily Edition
    • Hillary Clinton by Gage Skidmore [CC BY-SA]Hillary Clinton Says Real ‘Pro-Life’ Advocates Need These 5 Things
    • Rep. Lauren BoebertLauren Boebert Slams Joe Biden Blooper, “We Like Babies”
    • Ted CruzTed Cruz Stuns Liberals With Savage TikTok Interrogation, “Go Ted!”
  • Business
    • Sen. Elizabeth WarrenSen. Elizabeth Warren Laughs at Bank CEOs Doing Their Own Stress Tests
    • Randi ZuckerbergRandi Zuckerberg Sarcastically Mocks Crypto Boys Club
    • Daymond JohnDaymond John Drops Elon Musk Icebreaker on Twitter, ‘Money v. Meeting’
  • Culture
    • Penelope CruzPenélope Cruz Stuns in Strapless Corset Mini Dress, ‘Looks Like Teenager’
    • David Hasselhoff’s Daughter Flaunts Curves in Bikini, ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’
    • Lili ReinhartLili Reinhart Strikes Sexy Pose in Satin Bra, ‘Marilyn Monroe 2.0’
  • Sports
    • Naomi Osaka, US Open 2020Naomi Osaka Flaunts Bare Belly in Crop Top, Reveals Victoria’s Secret Collab
    • Gov Greg AbbottTexas Gov. Greg Abbott Picks Alabama Over Houston, Fails Politics 101
    • Michael_Jordan_and_Barack_ObamaBarack Obama Knocks Out #1 Seed Purdue In NCAA Round 2, ‘A Crime’
  • Food
    • Jennifer GarnerJennifer Garner Reveals Her Favorite ‘Dry January’ Treat at Home
    • Dark ChocolateAre Dark Chocolate Fears Overblown? Cadmium, California, and “Ouch, Ouch” Disease
    • Wendy's restaurantWendy’s New Riddle Stumps Social Media — “Chili in Philly?”
  • Interviews
    • Cranberries_in_a_bucketDo Cranberries Really Help UTI? A Doctor Answers With New Evidence
    • Lauren Lovett The Speech Ring InventorVideo: The Speech Ring Inventor on Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
    • Surge first out gay superhero in the moviesFirst Out Gay Movie Superhero Surge Speaks on Humor, Responsibility
  • Cool Stuff
    • Ice-T on LAW & ORDER: SVU (Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Ice-T’s Wife Flaunts Brand New Range Rover With Front Seat Refrigerator
    • Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue store in NYCChristian Louboutin Reveals 3.5″ Spring Mules With ‘Vibrant Red’ Nail Polish
    • Cardi_BCardi B Says She Hit Jackpot With $30,000 Chanel Slot Machine Bag
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Rules on Church Influence are Taxing

by Mary Fichter in Daily Edition | November 6, 2012

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Linkedin
  • Reddit
  • Email

Churches can lobby directly with legislators, run political ads in their circulars, sell their mailing lists to candidates, distribute voters’ guides about where candidates stand on issues and even drive parishioners to voting centers but according to a 1954 IRS code, they cannot tell parishioners who to vote for. (Then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson sought the enactment when his democratic primary opponent Dudley Dougherty received public support from right-wing billionaires like oil magnate H. L. Hunt who wrote off the expenses of his propaganda agency Facts Forum as a donation to charity.) Today, if religious organizations do intervene with a political campaign, they risk losing their tax-exempt nonprofit status and have to pay federal income tax just like corporations. The IRS has revoked nonprofit status in less than five such intervention cases since the rules were adopted in 1954. Those include the Christian Echoes National Ministry which endorsed Goldwater in 1964, Jerry Falwell’s Old Time Gospel House which funneled money to conservative candidates in the 1980s, and nearly ten years ago, Randall Terry’s hometown church in Binghamton, New York which ran a full-page ad in USA Today and The Washington Times that accused Clinton of supporting “policies that are in rebellion to God’s Laws” and solicited “tax-deductible donations” to help fund future ads. Most IRS inquiries about potential violations by churches are initiated based upon articles reported by the media or complaints submitted by third parties.

In 2004, the IRS determined that the religious nonprofit organization Catholic Answers had engaged in improper electioneering when it published a voter guide arguing that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry should not receive Communion in Roman Catholic churches. The organization paid the excise tax but later sued the IRS for refund of the tax and challenged the constitutionality of the restrictions on campaign activity. The IRS refunded the tax, but Catholic Answers continued its legal challenge. The US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said the suit was moot because the tax had been refunded. The Supreme Court (in January 2012) declined to review the decision.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Linkedin
  • Reddit
  • Email

Sandy: Help and Hope in the Aftermath

Red Cross at Work in NYC

Load More

  • Recent
  • Trending
  • Popular
  • Hillary Clinton by Gage Skidmore [CC BY-SA]Hillary Clinton Says Real ‘Pro-Life’ Advocates Need These 5 Things
  • Rep. Lauren BoebertLauren Boebert Slams Joe Biden Blooper, “We Like Babies”
  • Ted CruzTed Cruz Stuns Liberals With Savage TikTok Interrogation, “Go Ted!”
  • Ivanka TrumpIvanka Trump Prays at Wailing Wall in Jerusalem in Bright Red Dress
  • Donald Trump in 2016Trump Time Bomb — 6 Ways He Could Be Indicted Before Primary
  • Kevin McCarthy and Donald TrumpKevin McCarthy Called Out for Trump Defense, ‘Outrageous Abuse of Power’
  • Donald Trump with Melania TrumpTrump’s Top Campaign Voice, Daughter of NFL Star, Has Complicated Ron DeSantis History
  • Donald Trump in 2016Donald Trump’s Escape From Mar-a-Lago Via Underground Tunnel Titillates Twitter
  • Sen. Marco RubioMarco Rubio Falls In Line, ‘Prays’ Donald Trump Won’t Be Prosecuted
  • Joe_BidenBiden Taunts MAGA, Marjorie Taylor Greene For Ignoring “Extensive Evidence” on ESG
  • Marjorie_Taylor_Greene_(51771572120)‘Marjorie Taylor Greene Is So Dumb’ Trending Has It All Wrong
  • Mitt RomneyMitt Romney Sounds Off on MAGA, ‘No Blood Being Shed’
  • Pete Buttigieg,Pete Buttigieg Trolls MAGA Investigators After ‘Alarming’ Mistake
  • Kamala HarrisKamala Harris Claims ‘Momentum’ After Questions About Her Future
  • Josh HawleyJosh Hawley Enrages Liberals With Stark Choice, Demands GOP Loyalty
2paragraphs on APPLE NEWS | 2paragraphs Amazon Shop | SEE MORE 2paragraphs ARTICLES
  • About 2paragraphs
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Dedication
  • Map
  • Fresh
  • Law
  • How-To
  • Personal
  • Books

© 2012-2023, 2paragraphs Productions, LLC

  • Buffer
  • Diggit
  • Email
  • More
  • Facebook
  • Flattr
  • Google+
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Stumble
  • tumblr
  • Twitter
  • VK
  • WhatsApp
  • Yummly
  • Xing