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Religious leaders hit GOP tax law after it imposes new tax
The Hill ^ | 06/26/2018 | Jacqueline Thomsen

Posted on 06/26/2018 6:50:45 AM PDT by GIdget2004

Religious leaders are slamming the new GOP tax law after the measure required them to start paying a tax on some of the fringe benefits religious institutions offer to employees.

Politico reported Tuesday that the new tax law requires the groups to start paying a 21 percent tax on some of the benefits, including those for transportation, meals and potentially gym memberships.

Republicans eliminated tax breaks for employees' fringe benefits in the law to cover the cost of tax cuts for corporations and individuals. Because nonprofits don’t pay income taxes, lawmakers implemented a tax on the organization's fringe benefits.

Religious institutions, which are exempt from taxes, told the outlet that the measure is a major burden and will force them to work with the IRS for the first time. The report noted that many of the faith-based groups remain unaware of the new tax.

“There’s going to be huge headaches,” Galen Carey, the vice president of government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals, told Politico. “The cost of compliance, especially for churches that have small staffs or maybe volunteer accountants and bookkeepers — we don’t need this kind of hassle.”

And an official for the Jewish Federations of North America told the publication that the group would pay $75,000 in taxes this year as a result of the new law.

“A lot of people are just finding out about it and the more people find out about it, the more pressure there will be on Treasury and Congress to either delay implementation or consider changing this,” said Steven Woolf, senior tax policy counsel for the group.

House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) defended the provision, with a spokesman telling The Hill that it simplifies the tax code for worker compensation.

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 115th; christians; churches; churchtaxes; speakerryan; taxandspend; trumptaxes
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1 posted on 06/26/2018 6:50:45 AM PDT by GIdget2004
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To: GIdget2004

If it has nothing to do with worship, it is taxable


2 posted on 06/26/2018 6:54:01 AM PDT by AppyPappy (Don't mistake your dorm political discussions with the desires of the nation)
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To: GIdget2004

Source article

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/26/republican-tax-law-churches-employees-670362


3 posted on 06/26/2018 6:55:40 AM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: GIdget2004
The federal government needs to stop paying Religious organizations for immigration settlement support and 25% for immigrant loan collection too.
4 posted on 06/26/2018 6:55:41 AM PDT by 103198 (It's the metadata stupid...)
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To: AppyPappy

As far as I am concerned ALL religious establishment should never have been tax exempt since the constitution allows for freedom of religion not SUBSIDIZED religion.

And today pretty much every church and equivalent is extremely political.

This is a tiny loophole that has been closed.

Render under Cesar, folks.


5 posted on 06/26/2018 6:59:10 AM PDT by freedumb2003 ("We were designed as gardeners, not cubicle rats." (/robroys woman))
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To: AppyPappy
If it has nothing to do with worship, it is taxable. Exactly.
6 posted on 06/26/2018 6:59:58 AM PDT by Reno89519 (No Amnesty! No Catch-and-Release! Just Say No to All Illegal Aliens! Arrest & Deport!y)
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To: freedumb2003

That would have ensured that only large churches would exist. You could have taxed others out of existence.


7 posted on 06/26/2018 7:01:08 AM PDT by AppyPappy (Don't mistake your dorm political discussions with the desires of the nation)
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To: GIdget2004

The pastor at my mother’s church is a wealthy man because of the fringe benefits that the church gives him. I have zero sympathy with the churches on this one.


8 posted on 06/26/2018 7:01:39 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: GIdget2004

Why are the religious organizations paying this tax? Most fringe benefits are taxable for the EMPLOYEE, not the employer.


9 posted on 06/26/2018 7:06:08 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: TexasGator

Find ANY group of self labelled “religious” and you can find a racist or homosexual-promoting socialist “preacher” who hates the Trump tax cuts.

Pure agi-prop from The Hill, politico editors for their democrats before the mid terms. They are writing this to split Trump from the evangelicals.


10 posted on 06/26/2018 7:07:01 AM PDT by Robert A Cook PE (The democrats' national goal: One world social-communism under one world religion: Atheistic Islam.)
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To: GIdget2004

religious groups sold their soul when they chose to abide by tax free status. I don’t see how it’s honoring God to really letting God be in control of their org/church etc, when they submit to governmental gudielines just to maintain tax free status.

I think all non and not for profit status should be done away with because mostly the leaders benefit along with whatever good works they do, otherwise they could not continue to operate if the leaders didn’t benefit enough.


11 posted on 06/26/2018 7:12:30 AM PDT by b4me (God Bless the USA)
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To: 103198

yup!


12 posted on 06/26/2018 7:15:17 AM PDT by rb22982
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To: GIdget2004

Much anti-religious sentiment in this thread already! Brothers and sisters, if your churches have let you down so completely, I weep for you. Consider choosing a new church. The ELS, WELS, and MS are all very solidly anchored in the Word. Spending your time in one of these flocks, I am confident will change your outlook on pastoral care. God bless you all.


13 posted on 06/26/2018 7:17:41 AM PDT by so_real ( "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.")
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To: AppyPappy

>>That would have ensured that only large churches would exist. You could have taxed others out of existence.<<

Maybe, maybe not. Churches exist in a marketplace. I their message is compelling then their parishioners will provide.

If a church does ONLY charitable works then they can file as a charitable organization accordingly.

I don’t think churches deserve any special attention and the USC certainly does not provide it.


14 posted on 06/26/2018 7:21:36 AM PDT by freedumb2003 ("We were designed as gardeners, not cubicle rats." (/robroys woman))
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To: GIdget2004
$75,000 in taxes

Multi billion enterprise whining about $75,000 in taxes?

How much did their taxes go down due to the tax cut?

https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/special-report-what-jewish-federations-do-your-money

15 posted on 06/26/2018 7:23:26 AM PDT by MNJohnnie ("The political class is a bureaucracy designed to perpetuate itself" Rush Limbaugh)
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To: GIdget2004

The prior law gave some pretty significant tax breaks for ministers. A big one was deductions for housing costs. A church board could stipulate a certain dollar amount of their salary to be considered a housing allowance. The amount could often be twice the actual cost of housing. A partial reason for it was that ministers often host congregants in their homes for church-related activities.


16 posted on 06/26/2018 9:38:00 AM PDT by WASCWatch
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To: so_real

Sorry, I don’t even know what those are.


17 posted on 06/26/2018 4:05:04 PM PDT by moonhawk (My Basket of Deplorable is Irredeemably mired in the Swamp of Crazy.)
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To: GIdget2004

Eliminate all the exemptions entirely.


18 posted on 06/26/2018 5:12:16 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Socialists want YOUR wealth redistributed, never THEIRS!)
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To: AppyPappy

Alternately, small churches where the pastor has a day job, and preaches out of his living room, would have no income, and thus no taxes.


19 posted on 06/26/2018 5:14:42 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Socialists want YOUR wealth redistributed, never THEIRS!)
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To: moonhawk

ELS - Evangelical Lutheran Synod
WELS - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
MS - Lutheran Church Missouri Synod


20 posted on 06/27/2018 2:20:55 PM PDT by so_real ( "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.")
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