Quote Originally Posted by bragaboutme View Post
You can't armchair quarterback this one. Most churches are struggling as with most charitable organizations. Not too many pastor's are driving Bentley's don't get it twisted. To tax them is to say you are going to pay volunteers it makes no sense. In the long run we all lose when we make decisions based off hear say. It's like asking a homeless person at the end of the day to pay taxes on the money he or she collected. You can't make America great again with this type of thinking.
On what basis should a church receive a tax break?

Its essentially a club where people get together once or twice a week to socialize and tell stories.

I mean no disrespect in saying that, but its an entirely accurate description.

Its entertainment.

Where it acts as entertainment why should it be taxed less than a movie theatre, or a concert venue or anything else?

You might argue that its 'free' to attend, but we all know there are 'offerings' and that these amount to a ticket price with extreme social/peer pressure to contribute. Not to mention a pastor leaving you w/the impression you'd be stealing from God if you didn't and might end up in hell.

The remaining argument would be social good. But many churches don't run food banks, or homeless shelters or medical clinics for the poor.

They support their own direct services to parishioners to some degree, missionary work and day to day programming.

Why should any of that get a break?

Most charities actually operate inside buildings that pay property tax, why shouldn't churches?

No one is suggesting taking money retroactively from 10 years ago, just on a go-forward basis.

The tax bill for a tiny inner-City or rural church with 100 members need not be high, and if they can't afford an extra 10k a year, probably time to fold shop.

My concern is with the mega churches, large, palatial, offering no sense that the social good is a priority or that its tangential at best.

Let them foot a new 2M bill and reduce the pay for and number of clergy, let them sell-off the acreage, and charge for parking. They'll likely survive and won't be quite a leech-like after.