Hey Mr President! I represent evangelicals, televangelists and scientology like Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, David Miscavige, etc.
We collectively call you out as a raping pedophile piece of shit living specimen who wouldn’t dare come after our tax-free status. FUCK YOU!
Mega-churches make massive profits.
You mean massive cash surpluses.
All that cash is legally required to be spent in the course of the churches objectives, which in almost all cases will be the furtherance of religion.
That means, the minister is restricted from using that money for personal things like holidays or boats or whatever.
Yes, mega churches provide celebrity ministers a lot of perks. Thats why I said this area needs stronger restrictions.
I assume the church can pay the minister a salary…are there restrictions on that salary?
Preachers and all other church staff members have to pay income taxes.
There is an interest-free housing stipend for preachers that works similar to an FSA (use it or lose it annually). Some military service members get a similar stipend if they live off-base for the same reason. Many preachers and service members are itenerant and may be reassigned to a different area at any time. Purchsing a house isn’trealistic if you don’tknownwhere you’ll live in 6 months, so they can’t take advantage of tax breaks like the home interest mortgage deduction. Preachers who are provided free housing (parsonage) can’t take advantage of the tax-free stipend because they don’t pay for housing.
My thought on that particular tax break isn’t to close it but to expand it to everyone who rents.
Someone knows their clergy tax code! I agree with your idea of expansion. That’s something I’d not considered and think it makes a lot of sense.
I used to be clergy. Now I work in government.
So I feel like I’m a decent authority on how the separation of church and state makes both institutions better.
Depends on jurisdiction.
It can be taxed like any other salary. Sometimes they enjoy some tax concessions.
The point I was trying to make is that those churches that are bringing in big money may have a way to funnel that money to the minister - just make it his or her salary. Add bonuses. Sure the minister probably has to pay taxes on the income, but so what, they’re still making a lot more than most people (including members of their own church).
My comment is about taxing churches.
And unfortunately those would not be the ones targeted.