Residents of the C Street Christian fellowship house will no longer benefit from a loophole that had allowed the house’s owners to avoid paying property taxes.
Previously, the house — despite being home to numerous lawmakers — had been tax exempt, because it was classified as a church. That arrangement had allowed the building’s owner, the secretive international Christian organization The Family, to charge significantly below market rents to its residents. In recent year, Senators John Ensign (R-NV), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Jim DeMint (R-SC), and Reps. Zach Wamp (R-TN), Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Mike Doyle (D-PA) have all reportedly called C Street home.
Natalie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Office of Tax and Revenue for Washington D.C., told TPMmuckraker that her office inspected the house this summer. “It was determined that portions of it were being rented out for private residential purposes,” she said. As a result, the tax exempt status was partially revoked. Sixty-six percent of the value of the property is now subject to taxation.
Don’t forget to see Jim Slartlet, author of The Family, at our convention in April! Book your reservations now! (Tickets on sale soon)
Tax exemptions for all religions need to end what we have now is a game of favorites with most being some politicans favorite.I can see giving an exemption to a hospital,soup kitchen.When you look at how much americans give to charity both secular and religious you would think we shouldn’t have any needy.Sadly it appears alot of this money is wasted.I’m not suggesting you don’t give but you really need to dig into details of who you give money to.
Also here’s a question do you all think religion would improve without tax exemption.I do because i think it would weed out some of the con men as well as make people really think about the teachings of the group they belong to.
Tax exemption for religious organizations is a separation of church and state issue. The government is essentially giving the church money that they would otherwise not have, simply for being a religion. The bible even commands that Christians pay their taxes. Having them not pay taxes is favoritism for the simple fact that secular groups must prove that they provide a public service worth of tax exemption in order to get it, while religious organizations just get the tax exemption with next to no questions asked.
Furthermore, reason is right, it can be used as a scam to get out of paying taxes. My aunt was quite the con artist before she died. Turns out, she had her home registered as a church and she never paid taxes.
I think they should lose their entire tax exempt status. They have proven themselves to be a political organization and not a church or religious organization. They should be required to abide all laws applicable to political organizations. I also agree that all Christian Churches should lose their tax exempt status but you cannot do that without canceling the tax exempt status of all other religious beliefs.
I just heard Jim Slartlet on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He gave a great interview and talked about the Family’s connection to the Stupak–Pitts Amendment and to “… proposed anti-gay legislation in Uganda that could sentence, quote, repeat offenders to the death penalty.” Very good choice to have speak.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120746516
transcript: http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=120746516