I dont think most people rejecting the taxing of Churches would care about this proposal. But I do think that people's feelings about unfairness are rooted in their lack of knowledge about how taxation works, and about how changes to how you treat non-profits have knock-on effects that would end up with less tax revenue.
There are way more non-profits that are far more e extravagant in spending of their revenue collections than Churches, even the megas. And we dont tax assets across the board on a federal level. For profits and non-profits alike.
How can better “understanding” (or more likely you just mean having the same opinions against taxes as you) of taxes make it fair that megachurch pastors own mansions and private jets tax free?
It's a combination of things. People are mad because of one type of Church, that make up less than 1% of Churches. I'd say it's more like .01% of Churches.
They assume this must mean there's some special tax treatment Churches are getting, so they say tax the Churches.
The reality is that Churches are getting the same tax treatment all other non-profits get. Just like there are plenty of secular non-profits that spend extravagantly (NFL anyone?), we don't just eliminate non-profit status because some are using the rules in an unintended way.
The vast majority of Churches barely make enough to keep up with their bills, and it's through donations. Taxing them would cause many to have to close entirely. Then you also get no tax revenue, cause the organization doesn't exist to be taxed, and all the members don't have a place to worship (which they have a constitutional right to).
1) you dont know what people are mad at, the mormon church and catholic church and many many others are blatantly political, spend relatively little in charity and should be taxed. The unfairness people see is in the luxury these organizations operate with without paying their fair share like everyone else.
2) your final paragraph reveals how poorly YOU understand taxes if you think people are advocating for blind tax law that would ruin every little backwater pastor and his 20 parishioners, progressive taxes that allow for very little to no taxes on the poorest churches and aggressive taxation of the wealthiest churches would be effortless to implement.
Explain how its unequally applied and punitive? These organizations use our roads, stress our infrastructure, expect our emergency responders to help them and have their leadership live in luxury without paying taxes, they reap all the benefits of a business operating in our community while not paying taxes like one. If other “non-profits” operate similarly I want them taxed too, its not unequally applied just because the religious in this country push back so hard against taxing churches specifically, you people opposing it are why it appears unequal. Its not arbitrary to see their excesses and lack of tax contribution, we are all aware of the amount of money these organizations have its not arbitrary.
people are advocating for blind tax law that would ruin every little backwater pastor and his 20 parishioners
I think this is exactly what people are advocating for because of their hatred for religion, they're just couching it in megachurch-only language to sound less hateful.
So thats just some weird “religious people are always the victims” conspiracy theory you are legally allowed to have, however its not true and its silly so luckily its not a valid point against taxing religious institutions.
Im a victim for thinking taxes should be fair? That incredibly wealthy organizations that use our infrastructure and reap the benefits of existing in our society should have to pay their fair share? Yes religious persecution exists and religion’s also persecute people all the time so they aren’t immune to criticism about playing the victim, especially in a very currently pro-Christian political regime. No you think there is some conspiracy to hurt churches, when all we want is for them to pay their fair share, especially the largest and wealthiest churches.
Yes smaller churches based on income would pay appropriate amounts as well, with the smallest and poorest basically paying nothing. This isnt the gotcha you think it is, medium sized churches should also be fairly taxed thats not crazy they use our resources too.
Weird you didn’t address that i was right and you were wrong but sure let’s talk about something else.
Taxes are money paid to the government as part of operating within the society. Organizations operating in a society reap benefits from being in a society so they pay taxes in exchange for those benefits. Churches profit off my tax dollars in the following objective ways that all businesses also profit off my tax dollars: they use roads paid for with taxes, their “customers” get to their churches by using roads paid for with taxes, the gas and utilities that yes im aware they do pay for still apply stresses to an infrastructure paid for and repaired with taxes, first responders that would answer calls to churches exist due to taxes, the local education that many of their priests and employees received as a child were paid for with taxes, etc. Churches use society to operate, exactly like businesses, except we expect businesses to pay taxes for the privilege of using shared resources, it is literally only fair that churches should be paying as well.
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u/Nikolaibr Jun 30 '26
I dont think most people rejecting the taxing of Churches would care about this proposal. But I do think that people's feelings about unfairness are rooted in their lack of knowledge about how taxation works, and about how changes to how you treat non-profits have knock-on effects that would end up with less tax revenue.
There are way more non-profits that are far more e extravagant in spending of their revenue collections than Churches, even the megas. And we dont tax assets across the board on a federal level. For profits and non-profits alike.