Let's discuss: Why does the NFL enjoy non-profit status?

[theHandpuppet]

How many folks even know about this? And Roger Goodell made 44 million in salary and bonuses last year? What kind of scam is this, anyway? The article I'm posting below is several months old but perhaps it's time to revisit this subject?

cbsnews
Should the NFL continue to enjoy non-profit status?
By/Erik Sherman/MoneyWatch/February 3, 2014, 12:28 PM

At this time of year, news about the National Football League is inescapable (just ask the Denver Broncos). But even during the rest of the year, when Super Bowl fever has passed, few aspects of U.S. popular culture are as relentlessly ubiquitous. NFL marketing is everywhere.

As popular ventures go, few are as financially successful as the NFL. The entire league sees a reported $10 billion in annual revenue, and has a goal to reach $25 billion by 2027 -- so you might wonder why the NFL is a listed as a nonprofit organization.

According to its 2011 IRS filings, the NFL is a "trade association" that promotes the interests of its clubs. Trade associations typically do such things as lobby governments, help create industry standards, develop benchmarks for companies to use in measuring their own performance, and otherwise advance the interests of a given industry.

But the NFL goes one better by having developed a revenue machine through creating intellectual property, licensing logos and names for merchandising, negotiating deals for televising games, and running the schedule of games, including producing the Super Bowl. And that machine is a printing press for money....

MORE at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-enjoys-non-profit-status/

[JimDandy]

1. the NFL shouldn't enjoy such status in its current form. n/t

[FSogol]

2. Yup, time to strip them of their non-profit status. n/t

[Boom Sound 416]

3. I don't think the nfl's status or Goodell's income

Exempts him from federal income tax. Or does it?

[Puzzledtraveller]

4. Money

Lobbying and greasing both sides.

[corkhead]

5. It has an important role: It is the 21st century "circus" in the ancient phrase "Bread & Circuses"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses

[NashuaDW]

6. This is a Red Herring

The mistake you're making confusing the entity known as the NFL with the league. The NFL is a non-profit but the teams aren't and everyone employed by the entity known as the NFL pay all local, state, and federal taxes on their income.

The teams are another matter. They are not non-profit and pay whatever taxes are appropriate as do their players, coaches, and staff.

In fact the players, coaches, and staff have to pay taxes everywhere they earn income. For football players that means filing a return in every state they play an 'away' game.

This is a false issue designed to get people cranked up over nothing.