IRS says churches can endorse political candidates to congregations
UNITED STATES, JUL 8 – The IRS reversed its 70-year stance, allowing churches to endorse political candidates without risking tax-exempt status, following a lawsuit and a 2017 executive order by President Trump.
- Earlier this week, both the plaintiffs and the IRS jointly asserted that the Johnson Amendment should not prevent churches from sharing religious messages with their members.
- This statement followed a lawsuit filed last August by the National Religious Broadcasters Association and others seeking to end enforcement of the 1954 Johnson Amendment.
- The IRS explained it has rarely enforced the amendment against churches for political speech, while President Trump signed a 2017 executive order directing Treasury to disregard it.
- Republican lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this year that aims to repeal the Johnson Amendment, which bans tax-exempt groups from endorsing political candidates.
- This development suggests a potential carve-out for religious organizations to endorse candidates without risking tax-exempt status, impacting political speech rules for houses of worship.
291 Articles
291 Articles
Maryland churches could openly endorse candidates from the pulpit, under IRS proposal - Maryland Matters
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IRS Rules Churches Can Endorse Candidates. A Progressive Pastor Says That’s Great
Donald Trump’s administration is giving churches a green light to explicitly endorse political candidates, without fear of losing their nonprofit tax status, under a proposed court settlement. And a leading figure on the Religious Left insists that’s a good thing for Democrats. The Internal Revenue Service — now led by controversial Trump appointee and X enthusiast Billy Long — proposed a “consent judgment” last week, seeking to settle a court…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seeks that church pastors can support political candidates without losing their tax exemption.In a court filing, the agency agreed a key exception to the Johnson Amendment, which since 1954 prohibits party activity in non-profit organizations.The IRS redefines the limits of the Johnson AmendmentThe Johnson Amendment, part of the U.S. tax code, prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from support…
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