Check it out. I found this out and said damn. I want our here to focus on the information and study it. ince our religious rights come from God, not government, and these rights are protected by both the State and federal Constitutions, why would a church want or feel the need to incorporate? Most pastors or ministers may attempt to justify incorporation as a requirement for the church to acquire tax exemption status. In other words, churches wanted to get a privilege for receiving gifts from their members, who could only get a tax break or deduction if giving to a non-profit organization. Although this provides no direct benefit to the church (which, once incorporated, is legally defined as a religious organization, not a church), it seems to provide a charitable tax deduction to members of the religious organization. What is an exemption for tax purposes? An exemption provides a release, discharge, waiver, or relief from liability. Does a church need an exemption from taxes? No! According to 26 Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.), Section 508, churches are not tax exempt; they are tax excepted, meaning that churches do not owe taxes in the first place. Churches have a mandatory exception from taxation under Section 508(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. Nevertheless, almost all churches in America have registered as tax exempt, non-profit corporations under 26 I.R.C. Section 501(c)(3). Most are also subject to State statutes governing not-for-profit corporations (In Pennsylvania, 15 Pa. C.S.A., Section 7311-7320, re-codified at 15 Pa. C.S.A., Section 5301-5310, 54 Pa. C.S.A., Subsection 501, Chapters 3 and 5). So why be concerned if a church is registered and exempt? The incorporated, licensed, or registered church no longer may serve God in the manner which it chooses, but must serve the State that created it, even if there is a conflict between the law of God and the law of the State. For example, an incorporated church may not support political candidates, nor become involved in political activities, nor speak out against what government says is legal.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 23:38:14 +0000
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