So... why shouldn't houses of worship pay taxes?

[OverVolt]

Couldn't agree more. Churches and religious institutions are no different than any other business.

They advertise to attract new customers, they offer products (place to worship, higher odds of getting to heaven, spiritual uplifting, daycare services during service, etc.), and ask for money in exchange for these services. The extra money, or profit, they obtain is used to expand the business.

However, since all taxes levied on businesses are simply passed on to the consumer, the next question is "should any business be taxed at all?"

Atheists have gone full retard it was inevitable. Religion isn't a business sorry. Yea the lucrative profession of becoming a priest and taking a vow of poverty yeah. Good job tardo.

I guess next we'll tax hospitals.

 

[Olikan]

There wouldn't be much to tax anyways besides property taxes and a lot of churches exist in rented buildings and storefronts anyways.

All the salaries of all the employees are deductable.
The costs of building and maintaining the chuch are deductable.
Donating the money they do to charities are deductable.

exacly, for honest religions... it changes nothing

religions like, scientology and other jokes, will be "forced" to donate or pay taxes

 

[OverVolt]

So, would you guys also support taxing the red cross? Lol.. you guys are geniuses.

 

[IronWing]

So, would you guys also support taxing the red cross? Lol.. you guys are geniuses.

Stick to picture books, reading comprehension isn't your forte.

 

[child of wonder]

Atheists have gone full retard it was inevitable. Religion isn't a business sorry. Yea the lucrative profession of becoming a priest and taking a vow of poverty yeah. Good job tardo.

I guess next we'll tax hospitals.

Are you surprised that someone who doesn't believe in a supervising entity sees the trillions poured into worshiping it as mental masturbation at best and a scam at worst? Why would either deserve not to be taxed despite how much the institution may give to charity? Besides, you see religions x, y, and z that you don't believe in the exact same way. I just see one more religion in that light than you do.

 

[Murloc]

I think ministers should pay taxes on their salary because it's a job as any.
A church has a value, if the building is useless for other purposes and thus has no value (usually not true), the terrain has value.
If there are any property taxes, then those should be paid.

Charity workers and hospital doctors and nurses pay taxes too.

 

[michal1980]

lets start taxing all the non profit hospitals. The left is going off the rails.

 

[Slew Foot]

Lower tax rates, get rid of deductions for everybody

 

[Darwin333]

Gotta love the anti-Christian bigotry behind this idea. They shouldn't be taxed.

What about Mosques?

As far as Christians go though, why does God need welfare? I would think an all powerful being such as the god you believe in could handle a simple little thing like paying his taxes. All powerful and all knowing but bad with money or something?

Also, is it bigotry or racism when other forms of welfare are questioned as well?

 

[Darwin333]

One would have to tax all houses of worship equally.

How would the tax then be determined.
Property Value - very subjective - difficult to run comparisons
Membership
Physical buildings/location - different per religion group

you have states, local municipalities and the Feds.
IF Church A gets a different taxing bill than Church B; it could be considered to be the government dictating a religious preference.


Big can of worms

We have a few hundred thousand pages of tax code or some shit like that to handle all of that already. Simply remove their automatic tax exempt status and let them play by the same rules as everyone else.

As far as property taxes, which is the big one imo, its not difficult at all. They have computer programs that basically spit out the value as it is now, how do you think they figure out what the rest of us have to pay?

 

[Darwin333]

If you want to tax it than all they have to do is spend it by the end of the year and then their taxable income is zero. And I don't think the Freedom Of Information Act allows you to start going through IRS returns.

Ok, so whats the problem? Let them spend it.

And as I said before, the big one is property tax (huge actually).

 

[IronWing]

lets start taxing all the non profit hospitals. The left is going off the rails.

Works for me. Very much for-profit hospital chains have been masquerading as non-profits for decades. Open the books.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

What about Mosques?

As far as Christians go though, why does God need welfare? I would think an all powerful being such as the god you believe in could handle a simple little thing like paying his taxes. All powerful and all knowing but bad with money or something?

Also, is it bigotry or racism when other forms of welfare are questioned as well?

People willingly contribute to churches or mosques. No asked me if I wanted to pay for welfare regardless of merit. Your opinion of God is irrelevant. Taxation of property would destroy many places of worship, fine by many perhaps, but in effect it kills Constitution protection. Want to tax someone? Politics has far more influence on government. Tax political contributions at 100%. Then we can get rid of the crap in DC and have a pound of flesh too.

 

[EagleKeeper]

We have a few hundred thousand pages of tax code or some shit like that to handle all of that already. Simply remove their automatic tax exempt status and let them play by the same rules as everyone else.

As far as property taxes, which is the big one imo, its not difficult at all. They have computer programs that basically spit out the value as it is now, how do you think they figure out what the rest of us have to pay?

The value of your property for tax purposes is link to what similar properties are selling for.

You do not see churches out on the market.

Some of the mega places could be evaluated as entertainment venues/conference buildings.

The non-organizational buildings (used as offices/storage) could be treated as commercial.

Then you have the local Mon/Pop 10-50 person church. Wrong layout for offices; to big for a house (at that size - one wants a custom place or intended design).

Not feasible as a storage warehouse.

 

[EagleKeeper]

What about Mosques?

As far as Christians go though, why does God need welfare? I would think an all powerful being such as the god you believe in could handle a simple little thing like paying his taxes. All powerful and all knowing but bad with money or something?

Also, is it bigotry or racism when other forms of welfare are questioned as well?

Unless one can figure out a fair taxing method that covers ALL; you run into the perception that one group is being treated favorably that the other.

That goes against the Constitution in that the government shall not get into the religious field.

$1/member - how do you determine who is a member
$1/sq ft - percentage wise the little group gets the shaft.
What about foreign activities

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Are you surprised that someone who doesn't believe in a supervising entity sees the trillions poured into worshiping it as mental masturbation at best and a scam at worst? Why would either deserve not to be taxed despite how much the institution may give to charity? Besides, you see religions x, y, and z that you don't believe in the exact same way. I just see one more religion in that light than you do.

I understand some hate gays and some hate blacks. You hate the religious. Unfortunately for you and the KKK the Constitution protects prople from you and them.

 

[pcgeek11]

Freedom of religion is a right. You cannot tax a right.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Freedom of religion is a right. You cannot tax a right.

This isn't about taxation. This about attacking something certain people hate.

 

[nehalem256]

All religions should be taxed appropriately.

10% of all donations (whether money, clothes, food etc) total value should be taxed

Because their income is from charity derp. Its like taxing charity money. Its like taxing the red cross humanitarian aid or taxing your blood donations. Its dumb man. Their income is charity.

lets start taxing all the non profit hospitals. The left is going off the rails.

I say we tax Planned Parenthood too. Watch how fast liberals back down then.

 

[WelshBloke]

Freedom of religion is a right. You cannot tax a right.

Gun ownership is a right but you tax gun shops.

 

[actuarial]

Freedom of religion is a right. You cannot tax a right.

Making a church pay property tax in no way infringes on your freedom of religion.

Otherwise, churches are not for profit. Don't see why they should be treated any differently than other NFP.

 

[ivwshane]

I say we tax Planned Parenthood too. Watch how fast liberals back down then.

What part of "tax ALL non profit organizations" don't you understand?

 

[child of wonder]

I understand some hate gays and some hate blacks. You hate the religious. Unfortunately for you and the KKK the Constitution protects prople from you and them.

And here comes Hayabusa Rider with his typical "you disagree so you are full of hate" comments that add nothing to the argument.

As I've said, religious institutions should be treated like any other business. They're no different. However, since taxes are an expense to businesses and all expenses simply add to the cost of product, perhaps how we tax businesses should be drastically cut, if not eliminated altogether.

Err.. I mean... RAWR! Die First Amendment! Arrest all religious people! I hate you!

 

[BoomerD]

There wouldn't be much to tax anyways besides property taxes and a lot of churches exist in rented buildings and storefronts anyways.

All the salaries of all the employees are deductable.
The costs of building and maintaining the chuch are deductable.
Donating the money they do to charities are deductable.

Donations should not be tax deductible. If you want to give, give out of the "goodness of your heart," not because you get a tax deduction for it.

 

[Zebo]

churches do pay taxes. preachers pay taxes salary. Only things exempt are retained earnings and sometime property tax. argument is it's not for profit and those earnings are used for charity and propagation which many feel benefits out weigh the tax imposed.

They are subject to restrictions though for that benefit unlike NGOs can't advocate for candidates politically and stuff. Thats why you hear news of certain institutions "tax exempt" status being revoked sometimes.