Should churches pay taxes?

[Monica]

Should churches pay taxes? Why or why not?

 

[Nebulous]

I am torn on this issue. I wonder how churches stay afloat. Are the donations they receive enough to pay their utilities? Do they get a pass on that too? Some of these mega churches definitely don't look like they are struggling. There is a few in my area. Multi-million dollar fancy buildings. I hear the church admins have Teslas and other fancy cars too.

 

[MrDawn]

I think they should. They have upper and middle class people “donate” a few hundred grand each year to their “Church" and then they get to write it off as charity, the money disappears into an organization that cant be audited. I see many of the churches in my hometown abuse the tithe system to get renovations, the missions are mainly family or group vacations, they don't help homeless people unless they're a member of that particular church, they use the money to make brochures and packets to leave on your doorstep, have gospel concerts, throw parties, and have huge dinners. I think there should be a law where they have to leave their books open to the public and the IRS on what they spend if they're not paying taxes. It's only fair.

 

[Nebulous]

I think they should. They have upper and middle class people “donate” a few hundred grand each year to their “Church" and then they get to write it off as charity, the money disappears into an organization that cant be audited. I see many of the churches in my hometown abuse the tithe system to get renovations, the missions are mainly family or group vacations, they don't help homeless people unless they're a member of that particular church, they use the money to make brochures and packets to leave on your doorstep, have gospel concerts, throw parties, and have huge dinners. I think there should be a law where they have to leave their books open to the public and the IRS on what they spend if they're not paying taxes. It's only fair.

Yeah, lets see them books!!!

 

[Reddington]

100%, Churches aren't special. It has always rubbed me the wrong way how they ask for a collection at the start of service and say "it's a donation to god". No, bitch, it's a donation to your church that goes into the church. At least be honest.

At the end of the day, churches are a business. If you don't want to pay taxes, then you don't get basic necessities.

 

[passenger]

Yes. That might eliminate a few millionaire scammers; and I just can't see why a church building needs to be so extravagant.

 

[Webster]

Should churches pay taxes? Why or why not?

If they want to actively participate in the political process, then yes. Otherwise, no.

 

[Nebulous]

"it's a donation to god". No, bitch, it's a donation to your church

My exact thoughts whenever I was in a church and they said that.

 

[MrDawn]

100%, Churches aren't special. It has always rubbed me the wrong way how they ask for a collection at the start of service and say "it's a donation to god". No, bitch, it's a donation to your church that goes into the church. At least be honest.

At the end of the day, churches are a business. If you don't want to pay taxes, then you don't get basic necessities.

Exactly. Religion is nothing but man made bullshit from the dark ages. They tell all of their followers that money is the root to all evil. But then they pass around the offering plate and beg you to dig deep into your pockets so they can take and spend your hard earned cash and blow it on stupid shit. That's hypocrisy. "It's not okay for you spend your hard earned money but it's okay for them to do it". They work real hard to get you to believe that you're giving up your money so you can get a gold ticket to get into paradise (Appeal to Faith Fallacy). Churches really do take advantage of their member base.

The more people they can infect with their superstitions, the better off they are. More people means more money. More support. They prey on people's beliefs and their finances. They prey on their hopes and their desperation. Seeing as there's no objective evidence for a deity, people go out on a limb on faith ( Argumentum Ad Populum, Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam, Pascals Wager & God of Gaps Fallacy) hoping this god or that god is real and that's where the church & cult leaders take advantage of those people.

Churches should use that money to build hospitals and shelters for the state. Not send people on missionary trips over to a country that's undergoing an epidemic to bring back into the US. They're putting healthy people next to sick people and getting them killed in the name of religion. If religion actually worked the way Christians and Muslims peddled it, we wouldn't need hospitals. We'd just go to church when we get sick or have a life or death emergency and get healed at the altar. Christians are partially to blame for the Covid outbreak that happened here in the states.

 

[Nebulous]

Churches should use that money to build hospitals and shelters for the state.

In a perfect world, but instead the church leaders are using that money to buy their fancy houses and nice cars (well leaders of those giant mega churches anyway).

 

[Smiley]

As long as there are gullible bipedal sheep giving their hard-earned money to the Church(es) because they've been taught from childhood it's the "right" thing to do, Church leaders will continue to preach poverty to the masses while at the same time living in the luxury themselves.

 

[Nebulous]

Church leaders will continue to preach poverty to the masses while at the same time living in the luxury themselves.

Only the leaders of the mega churches, which bring in enough income to pay their leaders well. I had a co-worker who was a pastor of a small rural church and the donations they received barely kept the church afloat.

 

[Smiley]

I believe Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals and Pope live quite luxurious lives. Okay, the current Pope is actually quite modest, but his predecessors spared no dime.

 

[nomad]

Religion is a business, and all businesses should be audited and taxed. Religious organizations like Churches have nothing to do with religion or God they are only collecting money so that they can enjoy life without working hard.

 

[Smiley]

Religion is a business, and all businesses should be audited and taxed. Religious organizations like Churches have nothing to do with religion or God they are only collecting money so that they can enjoy life without working hard.

Uh-huh...

 

[KenDaGamer]

ALL churches need to pay taxes. The IRS will be knocking on their doors sooner or later if the said churches fail to do so.

 

[Nebulous]

ALL churches need to pay taxes. The IRS will be knocking on their doors sooner or later if the said churches fail to do so.

The IRS won't be knocking at their door unless the laws change. They are completely exempt from paying taxes at the moment.

 

[KenDaGamer]

The IRS won't be knocking at their door unless the laws change. They are completely exempt from paying taxes at the moment.

Since when?

 

[Nebulous]

Since when?

Forever?

-edit- googled for an answeR:
US churches received an official federal income tax exemption in 1894, and they have been unofficially tax-exempt since the country’s founding.

 

[KenDaGamer]