IRS

“In the ordinary non-profit world, there are checks and balances on these things. There are boards which hold officers accountable for their actions. There are auditors… But things are very different in a Catholic context.” - Washington Examiner

“Focus on the Family is defending its decision to have the Internal Revenue Service officially reclassify the Christian nonprofit as a ‘church,’ denouncing the efforts of some to ascribe ‘sinister’ intentions to the change.” CPost

“The part of tax law that prohibits houses of worship from engaging in explicit political activity will remain intact for now, despite concerns that Republican lawmakers would try to repeal it in the latest massive federal spending bill they released this week.” RNS

Federal investigators raided the Grapevine headquarters of televangelist Benny Hinn Wednesday afternoon. A federal source told WFAA that it has been a lengthy IRS investigation, although agents at the scene were vague about the scope and target of their search warrant.

IRS sued for refusing to release secret ‘church investigations’ procedures

Non-profit groups are crying foul at the Internal Revenue Service’s proposed rule that would give organizations the option to collect and send to the IRS the social security numbers of their donors who give $250 or more.

“The Internal Revenue Service will not revoke the tax-exempt status of religious organizations that object to same-sex marriage, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has promised at least twice in recent weeks.” bpnews

Will blurred lines between “church” and “ministry” eventually spur the IRS to reexamine what constitutes a church?

“[M]more than 1,600 churches have deliberately broke[n] the existing law since 2008, endorsing political candidates from their pulpits during Pulpit Freedom Sunday events organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom.” CT

“The allowance is neutral to all religions. Without it, clergy in small congregations of all sorts would be penalized and harmed.”