Redditor reports a church to the IRS for electioneering. IRS quickly makes them take Trump off banner.

[Swede]

He also posted instructions on how to do the same if you see a church doing it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MarchAgainstNazis/comments/1gcr8ei/i_reported_a_church_to_the_irs_for_electioneering/

[Liberal In Texas]

1. Good! I'd like to see more of this.

Especially those gawd-awful mega churches.

[Judi Lynn]

2. May God bless him "real good." Hope people will hear about it and follow his lead!

They've been running amuck far too long and getting by with it.

Thank you for this great breath of fresh air!

[Think. Again.]

3. I think it's wrong for the IRS to make a church remove their electioneering...

The IRS should only have the authority to immediately remove the church's tax-free status, as proscribed by law, and not interfere with the church's choice to forego that tax-free status.

[NoRethugFriends]

4. think again

[Think. Again.]

5. (I think you missed my point.)

[Otto_Harper]

7. I think I did too.

[yardwork]

14. Jumping in to explain why I agree with Think.Again.

Churches that electioneer are violating their tax-exempt status. The IRA has the power to revoke that status.

I don't believe the federal government should remove signs that are covered by the First Amendment. Any organization has the right to freedom of speech. They don't have the right to be tax-exempt, though, if they violate the terms of that status.

Revoking tax-exempt status would be far more effective than removing signs, which will probably just make the congregation feel aggrieved and even more MAGATy, in any case. Revoking their tax-exempt status would make the preacher leave for more lucrative pastures. Far more effective and constitutional.

[NotHardly]

18. Just remove their tax exempt status and tax them, all of them.

Religions should never get a "pass" ... never... them and their mystical sky daddy are the cause of most of the violence that have created the wars, killings, and violence for the last 2000 years. F*ck them, the least they can do is pay taxes like those they would and do subjugate.

[LisaM]

23. A lot of legit churches provide social services.

I volunteered with a refugee resettlement office for years. All done through a church, not local or state government. A friend with a daycare couldn't pay her electric bill one winter. Catholic social services stepped in to pay it. Many of the tent villages in our area are at churches. There's much more.

It's because of things like this that churches get tax relief. Maybe it shouldn't be a blanket exemption, but a lot of social safety net would vanish if all churches suddenly got taxed. Should they have to prove that they provide them? Probably, but now you are adding an expensive administrative layer to audit it.

These things are never as simple as they sound.

[Hope22]

26. Hmmm...

I thought it was that pesky separation of church and state thing!

[LisaM]

29. I'm not supporting churches electioneering.

They shouldn't. But unilaterally stripping all churches of their tax exemption would throw a wrench in a lot of programs that provide needed services and the local governments would not be able to pick up the slack.

I am connected to a community in WNC (a pretty liberal area) and a ton of the relief effort is being handled through the churches there.

[Think. Again.]

33. Groups that focus on goodwill missions would still be eligible for non-profit status, just keep the made-up stuff out.

[Patterson]

30. That would also be the first amendment, right?

[Think. Again.]

32. Yes, using social services as a cover to indoctrinate the vulnerable into religious followings is, kinda sick.

Luckily, there are non-governmental social service groups who are doing the needed work without expecting people's souls in return.

[lostnfound]

34. Tax one, warn a thousand. Nt

[RandomNumbers]

25. I'm going to guess that revoking TE status requires a warning period

To be clear, I am not a lawyer.

I skimmed the Reddit thread (briefly!) and did not see details, and would not expect details, but I suppose the way IRS addressed it with the church was as a threat to revoke tax exempt status. Actually revoking it would probably take time, even if a warning period isn't in the law.

While it might be nice to say in this case, you f*cked up so you lose your right to (whatever, in this case TE status), that's not how are laws usually work*, and I think mostly we prefer it that way.

* for white people, of course.

[yardwork]

9. I see what you said there!

I agree with you.

[SupportSanity]

11. I think removing their tax free status would be the correct remedy.

I'm ready to have all churches have their tax free status removed. If they preach in church on politics, you would have to have been there and recorded it. And prove it was people of the church that said it.

I don't think that will happen

I thnk giving churces tax free status has gotten us into this mess to begin with.

Also, if the state of Oklahoma wants to buy Trump bibles, display the 10 commandments in schools, and teach the bible, it would need to start by taxing Oklahoma churches.

You're either goverment of Church.

[Mariana]

13. I doubt the IRS did anything.

They just don't move that fast. The Redditor says the banner is at an intersection, so anyone could have cut out Trump's picture.

[yardwork]

15. You're probably right.

[rainin]

17. I agree. Removing a banner doesn't stop what's going on inside. The banner just gave their malfesance away. The IRS

should send them notification that they are losing their tax free status effective immediately

[markodochartaigh]

21. I agree.

Tell the churches, "Say what you want. Make your stance plain for everyone to hear. Then accept the consequences."
No more NOT saying the quiet part out loud. No more wolf in sheep's clothing.

[Easterncedar]

31. Right!

And immediately! And permanently revoke that status. And for the whole organization, not just one congregation at a time.

[DemonGoddess]

6. Definitely an eye opener!

[SupportSanity]

8. This would be better than knocking on doors if enough people get on it.

[Mariana]

12. The Redditor provides zero evidence that the IRS did anything.

[dalton99a]

16. Kick

I thought I was shouting into the bureaucratic void when I sent this report to the IRS, but I was surprised to see they took swift (and extremely satisfying) action.

I followed the instructions found here on the IRS website to send a complaint by email. Below is a template of the important information and wording that I used.

To: [e-mail]

Subject: Report of Illegal Church Electioneering

Body:

“To whom it may concern,

I am contacting you in regards to [Church name] for their partisan political actions despite claiming non profit status. They reside at [Full address]. Photo evidence of their electioneering is attached to this email in the form of a [Type of political advertisement] posted at/distributed from [Detailed location; i.e. SW corner of building]; photo taken [time and date].

Regards,

Full name, address, and contact information”

[orangecrush]

19. Kick

[iluvtennis]

20. Awesome! n/t

[sarchasm]

22. KnR!

more of this please, or tax the MF's!

[sarchasm]

24. I went to a funeral at a Baptist church recently ...

and they put the hymn lyrics on video screens behind the lecturn, and I never realized how much they use the word "trump" in their lyrics. Not sure of the eytomology of the word, a verb obviously, to trump, but I assume it has to do with trumpeting or praising in a loud and vocal way perhaps.

I know it's coincidence, but to me it's consequential in that they are singing this often and with some higher level of conviction, so I would assume it would have very powerful persuasive and favorable affects towards our orange curse.

[Dave Bowman]

27. Tax them. Especially the churches that make huge profits.

[mainer]

28. Wow, great info! And so easy to do!

Here's the link to report churches that are electioneering:

https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations