The Tax Man Cometh: IRS Reports Increase In Complaints About Electioneering By Churches, Other Nonprofits
Allegations of improper church-based politicking rose 43 percent from those lodged in the previous election cycle in 2004.
The pressure on houses of worship to expend resources in support of political campaigns has intensified over many years now even in the face of ramped-up efforts by the federal government to curb illegal church-based politicking.
The crusade to get religious groups to act like political machines is reflected in a new report by the Internal Revenue Service that shows more and more complaints continue to flow into the federal tax agency over religious and other nonprofit outfits that improperly try to shove their supporters into backing certain politicians for public office.
The “2006 Political Activities Compliance Report,” issued Friday, shows a stark up-tick in the number of complaints filed with the IRS. Under federal tax law, churches and other nonprofits are barred from endorsing or opposing candidates. If they do so, they endanger their tax breaks and risk fines.
Allegations of improper church-based politicking rose 43 percent from those lodged in the previous election cycle in 2004. The number of complaints brought to the IRS jumped from 166 in 2004 to 237 in 2006. (After the 2004 season, the IRS launched its “Political Activities Compliance Initiative” because of a “high level of noncompliance” during that season.)
The IRS reported that as of March 30, 2007, five cases from 2004 and 60 cases from 2006 remain under consideration. Of the closed cases, 46 religious organizations have been issued written advisories for improper political activities, and 14 were cleared.
In the meantime, the IRS has just issued a new revenue ruling reiterating the standards governing election involvement by churches and other nonprofits.
While it is heartening that the IRS has decided to get serious about curbing political abuses by tax-exempt religious groups, its work is hardly complete. With another election season fast approaching, Religious Right activists such as James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Pat Robertson, Lou Sheldon and Donald Wildmon are keeping the pressure on religious communities to stay active in political machinations.
Americans United, which has long voiced opposition to partisan politicking by houses of worship, will stay engaged. Last week, AU asked the IRS to look into a Florida ministry that has used its resources to attack presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In a ministry Internet publication, dubbed Liveprayer.com, preacher Bill Keller said voting for Romney is akin to voting for Satan. It was an over-the-top attack that should not have been made using the ministry’s tax-exempt resources.
If religious groups, such as Keller’s, want to be political animals, they shouldn’t expect the tax breaks of all other nonprofits that remain out of the political fray.