• Fondots@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      It’s unacceptable that they’re the only ones who are officially exempt.

      Kind of seems like the person you’re replying to is well-aware of that, and when they said “Churches need to pay taxes,” they didn’t mean it as “churches are currently legally obligated to pay taxes” but rather “churches paying taxes is something that needs to happen.”

    • macbayne82@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Not quite. Churches are exempt from many taxes, but not all, as a part of the separation of church and state.

      Churches do need to pay their share of FICA, Social Security, and other income-related taxes. Clergy are also required to pay income taxes, though they are permitted some tax-exempt benefits, most notably church-provided housing.

      That being said, I’d completely agree with removing tax-exempt status from churches that breach the separation of church and state, beginning with those that outright tell their members who to vote for.