Could WBTS be forced to pay tax in America?

by Gadget 16 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  blondie

  There is one big difference between France and the US.

  As far as I know, France has never given the WTS official status as a religion.

  The US has; so would have to rescind that status first.

  Note this recent case:

  WATCHTOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC., et al. v. VILLAGE OF STRATTON et al.

  certiorari to the united states court of appeals for the sixth circuit

  No. 00-1737. Argued February 26, 2002--Decided June 17, 2002

  http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=00-1737

  The basis of allowing JWs to go from door to door was the principle of freedom of religion found in the First Amendment. The US Supreme Court indicates that they had ruled for the WTS for the last 50 years as a group covered by that amendment.

  Freedom of religion seems to be approached differently in the US than in France as well. There are many people and groups in the US that while they don't agree with the WTS religious ideas, will fight for the concept of protecting freedom of religion for other groups.

  I can't see the US government going after the WTS without going after other religious groups.
• 

  Triple A

  Clergy don't pay income tax or sales taxes in the US??

  Most Clergy that I have know pay taxes on their income and have to do tax planning like the rest of us. Their income is no more tax free, than ours. We do not have a parsonage and our pastor pays his own mortgage out of his pay.
• 

  bebu

  Actually, the preachers I have known generally don't pay income because they are given a special status and most of their purchases are done in the name of the church which has a non-profit status and therefore are given an exemption number. Most of them aren't even homeowners, they live in a church supplied parsonage rent and tax free.

  Ministers pay taxes, too. There is a special form for them, a certain kind of 1099 form. They have to also include an amount for what their housing is worth as well, as I recall, to be taxed. They may not pay very much in taxes, though, because salaries aren't terribly high for the average minister. They do get to take deductions for car usage for all their visitations, etc. I've never known any rich pastors... but then, we've usually lived in small towns.

  bebu
• 

  Little Red Hen

  Here is a little ole kingdum hell operating as a banquet facillity! Wonder where that puts them within the tax code?
  

  http://www.partypop.com/Categories/Catering_Banquet_Halls/Omaha_NE.htm

  Infact, it comes up as the second google entry for kingdom halls in nebraska!

  Wouldn't an Apostafest be a hoot there?
• 

  Wallflower

  Even if tax was charged in the US, they'd find a way to avoid paying it.
  
  
  The literature donation is a classic example. Mr Swaggert gets stomped on for taxes, within a month, the WBTS gets new light and now all literature is not charged for, but voluntary donations are requested.
  
  
  Call me cynical, but after the French decision to fine the WBTS millions of dollars in back tax, hey presto, there is now a website, in the UK, where all brothers and sisters world wide can now donate, from the comfort of there own homes and the WTBS will never have to disclose to any government how much it gets in donations and therefore never have to pay any tax. As far as I can see, the charity tax issue is not a vote winner in the UK, so I can't see it happening here.
• 

  kwintestal

  You know I was thinking about this last night.

  I am actually considering contacting someone like "Dateline" or something like that, to expose how weak the tax laws really are for this type of thing. Now the laws are different in Canada, but I'm sure the idea is the same.

  I would start a church with charitable status, my family would be the parrisheners, my house would be the church. I would donate my complete secular income to the "church" and the "church" would purchase everything for my family. This would in effect lower my personal income, so I wouldn't have to pay presonal income tax, and all the sales taxes we pay would be exempt as things would be purchased by the "church" which is tax-exempt.

  Any thoughts on that?

  Kwin

  P.S. Of course I would need to talk to an accountant to get all the facts on everything so I don't do something illegal.
• 

  bule

  the IRS sucks