If you feel that the Watchtower would be afraid of losing its tax-exempt status, instead of ponder what would happen, why not write to your members of Congress and ask that they sponsor/co-sponsor a bill to tweak the Tax Code to protect children from sexual abuse as I wrote in the thread Revise Tax Code to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse.What is stopping exJWs from doing instead of complaining and pondering?
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
What Would Happen if the Watchtower Loses Their TAX EXEMPT STATUS?
by John Aquila 35 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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OnTheWayOut
As Terry said on page 1, if Scientology is tax exempt, Watchtower is safe. I think it would only happen if they went after all of religion. It could happen one day.
Meanwhile, they could go after Watchtower in pieces- ending full time volunteering for Watchtower, charging taxes on donations from the "sale" of literature, disallowing tax write-offs to members for various things, maybe even cracking down on traveling overseers and green handshakes.
Most of the above, I doubt very much.
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iwasblind
It would affect their property strategy. At the moment because a hall is built by unpaid volunteers the tax laws in the US allows them to buy and sell properties and not pay a scrap of tax. I think it is similar in Australia and UK.
All of their running costs would still be an expense, but I believe a lot of their expenditure is capital - and we all know they donate nothing to help poor countries - so they would lose some money for sure.
Then all of a sudden we will be meeting back in homes, no need for Kingdom Halls as we would be under attack.
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James Mixon
When any group accepts a tax exemption, it agree to play by certain rules
and accept a certain degree of oversight. Federal law actually makes it
more difficult for the IRS to audit churches than other charities. In addition
to this modest "no electioneering" rule, for example, tax exempt groups
cannot collect money for a "charitable" purpose and then use it all for
the personal benefit of the director and family.
Do you seriously believe the IRS and possibly even criminal investigative
bodies have no right to try to scrutinize possible misbehaviors??
For now hands off in regards to churches....
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Mephis
I don't think they will lose tax exempt status here in the UK. The only recent applicable case was with the Plymouth Brethren, and they cobbled together a deal with the Charity Commission to allow them to have it. I'd imagine the WBTS will twist and do sufficient to pass the 'public benefit' test here, whilst telling the faithful nothing has changed. They'd have to try really hard to lose charitable status and there doesn't really seem to be a need as they can airbrush those changes however they like. -
WTWizard
I hope they do--and before Saturn re-enters Sagittarius, too. I will have a field day writing up 1099 forms for all the time I do in field circus, all the boasting sessions and work I do there, and whatever they manage to force me to donate toward this damnation work. At today's prices, I would be able to get them taxed on roughly 5 or 6 ounces of silver per hour of field circus I get pushed to do, and the tax would be about 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of silver. And the IRS will get the 1099 form the same day the congregation gets their copy.
I don't think they will be forcing me to do 200 hours a month of field circus or donate everything I have if they get that first 1099 form.
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eyeuse2badub
No need to worry about that. Didn't you guys hear---Armageddon is 'right around the corner'?
just saying!
eyeuse2badub
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Brokeback Watchtower
If they lose their tax exempt status it should be shouted from the roof top or at least every time we see the JW's stand next to their Jehovah chariot witnessing carts.
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FayeDunaway
They would say 'as we foretold from accurate interpretation of Bible prophesy, government is turning on religion!!!' (And they would leave out the part about themselves not being an actual charity after the investigation) -
Quarterback
Since nobody in Greece doesn't feel the need to pay taxes , the WT headquarters will relocate to that location