Religion
Related: About this forumCongressional Committee Addresses Religious Privilege in New Taxation Report
May 10, 2013 By Hemant Mehta
Congress Joint Committee on Taxation just released a report on recommendations to revise the U.S. tax code (which hasnt been comprehensively revised in over 25 years).
Wait! Dont fall asleep yet!
In one section, the committee highlighted comments and suggestions they received in regards to charitable and tax-exempt organizations, and it appears they took the advice (PDF) of the Secular Coalition for America.
Its not quite Tax the Church but the message is Dont give churches any special privileges.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/05/10/congressional-committee-addresses-religious-privilege-in-new-taxation-report/
Here's the full report.
https://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=4517
Here's the SCA press release.
http://secular.org/news/tax-reform-religious-privileging-issues-included-joint-committee-taxation-report
longship
(40,416 posts)Mega-church pastors are living a millionaire's life in multi-million dollar mansions, all tax free. It's the parsonage, so it's tax free.
There are those here who would point out that many parsonages are far from luxurious. That may be a good point, however there's undoubtedly a problem when people like the Crouch's.
This is one of 13 of their properties, now in jeopardy due to their crumbling marriage and family in-fighting over the properties.
Here they are (and damned lovely, too ):
Then, there's John Hagee's mansion, er eh parsonage.
Of course, he has to have a big place so that he'll be safe when Armageddon happens, as he is always babbling about.
And here he is:
The parsonage exemption needs to be at least maximized. Nobody should be able to live like the Crouch's or Hagee tax free.
(And nobody should have such horrible taste as Jan Crouch.)
monmouth3
(3,871 posts)Here's another pic of that fantastically stylish look:
Nothing but class, eh?
monmouth3
(3,871 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)It's that early 60's style. It looked cheap back then. (It's when I went to high school.)
Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! Like a Madame in a trailer court.
BTW, the parsonage exemption allowed her to buy a $100K+ dog house... Tax Free!
monmouth3
(3,871 posts)dimbear
(6,271 posts)and treating it accordingly. You might think the RCC would deserve the same, but it is managed so incompetently that that wouldn't fly.