News

Kansas bishops blast proposal to tax religious nonprofits

March 09, 2010

The Kansas House of Representatives is debating legislation that would compel religious nonprofits to pay sales taxes.

“As originally drafted, House Bill 2549 would have repealed the sales tax exemption enjoyed by all non-profits, as well as a host of other organizations,” the Kansas Catholic Conference noted in a March 4 statement. “However, the bill was amended in committee so that only religious non-profits, including churches, would lose their tax exemption.”

“Thus the bill in its current form discriminates against organizations that serve the poor if they happen to be religiously affiliated. If passed, Catholic Charities will have to start paying the sales tax, whereas an organization that performs a similar service but is not religiously affiliated will not. This is not only bad policy, but it may well be unconstitutional.”

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• State Targets Churches for Increased Taxation (Kansas Catholic Conference)
• Kansas Bishops Protest Bill Taxing Church Expenses (LifeSiteNews.com)

If you found this helpful, our daily emails can notify you of key news items. Progress toward our July expenses ($3,877 to go): $22,000.00 $18,123.05 18% 82% Please Register or Login.

It's Your Turn to Sound Off!

» To ensure well-meaning comments, only donors are allowed to Sound Off.
  If you're a donor, log in; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!

Sound Off! Comments

• Posted by: Minnesota Mary - Mar. 09, 2010 6:44 PM ET USA

  It's time these lefties in the Church feel the pain of taxation that the private sector feels since they are the ones clamoring for more and more government spending. It might give them an attitude readjustment!