Your question raises two separate and complex issues: the taxation of churches and the concept of inheritance tax. Neither is simply a matter of "greedy government," as both have nuanced legal, historical, and economic arguments surrounding them.
Taxing churches
Religious organizations in the U. S. have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, similar to other charitable groups. This applies to federal income tax, and most states also grant exemptions from property and sales taxes. However, this exemption is not absolute, and churches do pay taxes on unrelated business income.
The debate over this exemption involves constitutional and ethical arguments on both sides.
Arguments for tax exemption
Separation of church and state: Proponents argue that taxing religious institutions would create an "excessive entanglement" between government and religion, violating the First Amendment.
Public good: Churches and other religious organizations often provide social services like food banks, homeless shelters, and disaster relief, which some argue reduces the burden on taxpayers and the government.
Encouraging charity: Like other charities, tax-exempt status helps churches fund their religious and community services.
Double taxation: Some contend that since donations are made from income that has already been taxed, taxing churches would be a form of double taxation.
Arguments against tax exemption
Hidden subsidy: Opponents argue that tax exemption functions as a government subsidy for religion, forcing non-religious taxpayers to support religious organizations through lost tax revenue.
Fairness: Critics note that while churches use public services like police and fire protection, they do not contribute to property taxes, which help fund these services.
Unfair advantage: Some argue that it is unfair for religious groups to have special tax privileges when they can be financially flush and operate similarly to businesses.
Lack of accountability: Unlike other charities, churches are not required to file an annual financial disclosure (Form 990) with the IRS, which some say allows for a lack of financial transparency.
Inheritance tax and the "double taxation" claim
An inheritance tax is a state-level tax paid by the person who inherits assets, while a federal or state estate tax is paid by the deceased person's estate. The claim that these are "double taxation" is a common but contested argument.
The double taxation argument
Assets left in an estate were often purchased with money on which the deceased person already paid income tax.
Therefore, taxing that money again as it is transferred to an heir is argued to be a form of double taxation.
The counterarguments
Taxing a transfer, not income: The counterargument is that an inheritance tax isn't a tax on income, but rather a tax on the transfer of wealth and property. It's a tax on a transaction, similar to a sales tax.
Untaxed gains: For large estates, a significant portion of the value is made up of unrealized capital gains (e. g., appreciation in the value of stocks or property). These gains were never subject to income tax, so a tax upon their transfer is not a tax on previously taxed income.
High exemption amounts: Due to high exemption amounts at both the federal and state levels, a vast majority of estates and heirs pay no estate or inheritance tax at all.
Conclusion
The idea that taxing churches or inheritances is simply an act of a "greedy government" oversimplifies these issues. Both topics are complex and involve legitimate disagreements over constitutional principles, public policy, and economic fairness.
The tax exemption for churches is debated on the grounds of church-state separation versus accountability and fairness to non-religious taxpayers.
The "double taxation" argument against inheritance tax is challenged by defining the tax as a levy on a wealth transfer rather than income, particularly as much of the value in large estates may consist of untaxed capital gains.
Historically churches don't pay tax because of the amount of that tax used for warfare and because churches traditionally paid out to support people in the communities they were in who were homeless and in need.
The advent of the "megachurches" and ministries attached to them from the 1980s onwards has seen a change in the reach of those churches and in many cases the income they have.
In any enterprise there are tax loopholes that can be exploited by the morally ambiguous. The church is definitely not exempt from that. Some of the "teachers" out there spend more time talking about money than God simply because money is their god. Others get a bad rap because they have an income that from the outside has the appearance of excess when their personal income is a fraction of what their church or organisation receives.
Nobody complains about Andre Rieu owning a couple of 747s because he flies his whole orchestra around the world with stages and equipment, but if a preacher dares have an organisation that does the same he gets criticised for not using scheduled flights and flying "coach". Usually by the same people who claim the church is full of hypocrites who don't see anything but the one guy with the microphone.
By all means tax Christian businesses. And I say that as a Christian businessman. Tax my business. Tax personal income from things like sales of clothing, books, mugs, etc. but leave the church itself alone. Let it do what it's there to do: Reach out to the broken people government would rather forget. Addicts, veterans, homeless.
As for inheritance tax... Let government fuck right off. All that was taxed before the guy died. Now you're going to force people to sell inherited property so they can pay tax on it's book value? The family farm that's been in the same family for centuries is now subject to tax based on what it would be worth on the open market? I say again - FUCK OFF! It's not being sold and the guy taking over ownership doesn't have a few hundred thousand sitting around.
Government forgets they're there to serve people, not rule and subjugate them for their own enrichment.
It's a much more complex subject other than a simple yes or no. For instance the inheritance tax if it comes from a relatives investment account (which is normal) and the taxes on the interest are not paid then yes that part should be taxed, but not money where the taxes have been taken previously.
I consider churches as nothing more than a business and yes they should be taxed as a corporation.
It seems cruel to me to tax somebody (the person set to inherit) who just had another person close one to them die. Also the person who died likely paid taxes while they were alive so no need to tax them again
Opinion
34Opinion
u Churches are not taxed. I do not support estate taxes.
Presumably when a relative passes the money's they have have already been taxed so thats a no. As far as churches, no , not necessarily but the tax free status, in my opinion, should be a very limited thing. In the town I grew up in there was a church , it had televised services every Sunday Christmas specials , Easter, etc. And later it was discovered that some of the hi muckey mucks in the church lived in church owned homes presumably to avoid property taxes. The minister was also one of the states representatives for the Inc, which , in my opinion makes the separation of church and state no longer viable.
Most Churches exist on donations and volunteer work. It would be double taxing to tax Churches.
I don't support taxing churches, but I do support auditing them and limiting what they can do with the money tax free. If they are investing in commercial real estate for example, that should be outside the tax-free part of the church. Yes, audit them. No more closed books.
As for inheritance tax,. I MIGHT support some inheritance tax under certain conditions. The problem with inheritance tax vs estate tax is that it can put beneficiaries into huge debt, forcing them to sell assets to pay it. An estate doesn't even have to big large to cause a big financial burden on the beneficiaries.
The US at the federal level has an estate tax, not an inheritance tax. A small number of states still have an inheritance tax, but that number is shrinking.
Here's the problem. When you tax the churches, you are double taxing the supporters of the church. This isn't a simple "tax the church" issue because it sounds good. Yes, there has to be some kind of equitable to and fro, but I don't necessarily want any tax money going to my city or state, let alone the Feds.
There's a lot of room for negotiation here, folks. Just keep in mind, a church is only as good as it does for others in need. If they do that, and they spend all the money they receive going about doing that, I can see them being tax fee. But if they don't', fuck em.
Every person and organization that benefits from the infrastructure and government services that taxes pay for should have to contribute to the system. If you don’t want to pay for police and firefighters, then pray for rain and the end of crime. Otherwise pay your share and shut the f*ck up about it.
If Evangelical Christians want to use their donations for political activism to spread the disease of their toxic brand of Christianity, take away their tax exemption. The same goes for the Catholic Church. And if you're gonna take it away for those two, take it away for all religious cults.
Churches already pay unemployment and workers compensation taxes. I would support churches paying real estate taxes, perhaps at a lower but rate with some exemptions.
There should be no inheritance tax. Why tax someone just because someone left them assets when they died.
Governments would put a tax on tax and they probably will and funnily enough supposedly they print the money so why take it from the citizens? Well, they could do (create money) but they let the private bankers do that for them.
So no, I don't support it. I think USA should go back to factory settings in 1776, nationalise the pharmaceutical industry, financial sector and banish lobby groups who have the American citizens in balls and chains.
Jesus said to give the Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give God what belongs to God.
Taxes in some form are needed for country to operate, but Church Tax is just a penalty for being a believer. The state does not take any economical burden if you are a believer. There is no economical reason for Church Tax to exist (unless you are in deficit from other fields and you're looking what to tax to even this up and not fall into debt),
Next, they, like Momdani [running for Mayor of NYC ], want to take away your right to own property[ you do not own the house you bought and paid for ]. THE AMERICA LAST DEMOCRATIC COMMUNIST PARTY OF AMERICA is at work to destroy AMERICA.
Sounds crazy...
AH Yes but it is true listen to him and his free, free, free, everything free tax the rich and businesses that are ready to move from the state taking tens of thousands of jobs with them and a big chunk of the tax base. He is the darling of THE AMERICA LAST DEMOCRATIC COMMUNIST PARTY OF AMERICA Tax Churches tax inheritances that people worked all their live to give something to their families upon their death and the government want it that they did nothing to earn it, Communism at its finest. It is getting to the point that they are robbing Peter to pay Peter
I support abolishing taxes all together
You work. You earn. You spend.
Can’t afford something?
Get a job and you’ll afford it eventually
Simple and efficient
LOL, you cannot tax donations (which is what church/mosque/synagogue/temple etc come under).
Essentially, the state is legalising theft.
Shrink the government and get rid of taxes is my motto.. Taxation is theft IMHO.. Plus Churches for the most part are private entities, ran by crowd funding..
What about carpet tacks and thumb tacks?
Churches SHOULD get taxed! Inheritors, SHOULDN'T!! The money they get has already been taxed by the person that had it before them!!
I support taxing mega churches and I support tax on very large (multi million or billion $ ) inheritances.
No I don't support taxing Churches. Religion and state are separate entities meaning Churches should remain sacred.
Normally I don't support ANY taxes. But I'll make an exception for churches. Because too many churches have gotten very political. And I day if they really want to get involved in government then let's let them get all the way involved and they can start paying thier share of taxes.
Neither one. Anyone who says tax the church needs to investigate the amount the church spends on the needy. And its very insulting to have inheritance tax. Greedy freakazoids!
Taxation is theft when it's done how it's done here.
Doesn't inheritance tax only kick in above something like $5m? How many people are affected by that?
Not in the uk. In the uk its 40% on assets worth £325,000 which is basically the average house price with some change.
in my opinion the taxes have already been paid on that money.
Even though I will burn in hell i think churches should be taxed. Colleges too.
Inheritance Tax s double taxation.
Churches basically exist on volunteers and money donated to keep them open
@Gwendoline *some* churches. Many charismatic churches have disgustingly wealthy preachers that should be ashamed of themselves
@RedInnocent69 thats really on thd parishoners sho support them
Churches, I'm not sure
Inheritance and prize money, definitely not
all tax is greed and theft
the government can fuck off with the inheritance tax
Don’t tax the churches and don’t add inheritance taxes I lost my house because of it
Government Professional Political Overseer Class has to learn how to be frugal with money.
They tax me enough I dont need or want anymore taxes
I don't support any of these taxes but maybe sales tax
Tax the rich, no tax cuts for them, and remove income tax, inheritance tax, and sales tax
Maybe spend tax money better too. For instance does the US government need to be funding lgbtq lessons in schools globally? Do British & Irish taxpayers need to funding hotels for migrants?
Taxing churches violates the separation of Church and state.
Tax religion into oblivion. Tax inherited wealth reasonably & progressively
Sounds like nazism.
You obviously know nothing about Nazi industrial policy.
None of the above.
I don't support taxing anyone.
Taxation is theft
Greed
Government greed
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