To include churches for income tax

[mom]

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i agree, they should be taxed. they owned real estate properties, prime pa gyud ng uban. where i am now, they issue receipts for your donations and they are tax deductible. here, they have accounting of the donations and how it is spent. some churches in the philippines have some businessess and i am wondering if they pay evat. it is a fact that religion is a big business so, fair lang siguro nga mobuhisan sab.

[homeryap]

knowing how corrupt the government of this country is. Do you think that it's a good idea? Mawala ra dayun na I tell you. Sulod sa ilang bulsa. I think it's better not to tax the church kay naa man sad sila'y matabangan ana. Kung adto na sa government, ang gubyerno ra ang mabulahan. Ug, donation man pud gud nang ipang-hatag sa mga tawo during masses. Regarding sa pamisa and all those requiring you to pay, they issue receipts man sad, from my experience lang ha.

[necrotic freak]

^^mao gyud.. kung naay tax ang church hurot na gyud sa goberno ug pangurakot apil pa ang sa Ginoo..

wala tingali mo kabantay sa mga charity, shelters for the homeless, home for the aged nga gipadagan sa simbahan sa? maynang ang proceeds sa donations anha padong sa pagtabang sa nanginahanglan kaysa adto padong sa bulsa sa politiko..

[cottonmouth]

Tax Exemptions vs. Church Political Activity
Current Policies & Laws
By Austin Cline


Although there are a great many benefits which accompany becoming a tax exempt charitable trust, there is one significant drawback which has caused quite a bit of debate and not a few difficulties: a prohibition on political activity, specifically participation in political campaigns on behalf or any particular candidate.

It is important to understand that this prohibition does not mean that religious organizations and their officers are cannot speak out on any political, social, or moral issues. This is a common misconception which some have capitalized on for political purposes, but it is absolutely incorrect.

By not taxing churches, the government is prevented from directly interfering with how those churches operate. By the same token, those churches are also prevented from directly interfering with how the government operates in that they cannot endorse any political candidates, they cannot campaign on behalf of any candidates, and they cannot attack any political candidate such that the effectively endorse that person’s opponent.

What this means is that charitable and religious organizations which receive a 501(c)(3) tax exemption have a clear and simple choice to make: they can engage in religious activities and retain their exemption, or they can engage in political activity and lose it, but they cannot engage in political activity and retain their exemption.

What sorts of things are churches and other religious organizations allowed to do? They can invite political candidates to speak so long as they don’t explicitly endorse them. They can speak out about a wide variety of political and moral issues, including very controversial matters like abortion and euthanasia, war and peace, poverty and civil rights.

Commentary on such issues can appear in church bulletins, in purchased advertisements, in news conferences, in sermons, and wherever else the church or church leaders would like their message to be transmitted. What does matter, however, is that such comments are limited to the issues and do not stray towards where candidates and politicians stand on those issues.

It’s fine to speak out against abortion, but not to attack a candidate who supports abortion rights or to tell a congregation to urge a representative to vote for a particular bill which would outlaw abortion. It’s fine to speak out against war, but not to endorse a candidate who is also opposed to war. Contrary to what some partisan activists might like to claim, there are no barriers preventing the clergy from speaking out on the issues and there are no laws forcing clergy to remain silent on moral problems. Those who claim or even imply otherwise are deceiving people — perhaps deliberately.

It is important to keep in mind that tax exemptions are a matter of “legislative grace,” which means that no one is necessarily entitled to tax exemptions and that they are not protected by the Constitution. If a government doesn’t want to allow tax exemptions, it doesn’t have to. It is up to taxpayers to establish that they are entitled to get any exemptions which the government allows: if they fail to meet that burden, the exemptions can be denied.

Such denial is not, however, an infringement upon their free exercise of religion. As the Supreme Court observed in the 1983 case of Regan v. Taxation With Representation of Washington, “a legislature’s decision not to subsidize the exercise of a fundamental right does not infringe the right.”

******
Tax 'em !

Right, the constitution provided that the separation of the church and the state but it doesn't mean you do not pay. My tax as an ordinary citizen was use to pay the policemen to secure the churches during their activities. My tax money are used to pay the firemen that they will ask from time to time. My tax money were used to build the roads leading to those churches. And my list can go on and on...where is justice to that. Oh...should I mentioned that catholic churches build shrines and chapels inside the government own institution,..that's my tax money and a clear VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION.
The Constitution means separation. That means they should be apolitical. What are the churches doing now. Some bubbles heads in the catholic has been encouraging rebellion. Some other churches are endorsing political figures. Is that your idea of separation?

Tax 'em! let them pay right. Oh I forgot....when the police had to fire their water cannon to those priest who illegally protested on the streets....that's is my tax money paid for that water.

[Ichigo97]

if you tax them.when you hear mass, you have to pay for you seat. mahal na pamesa, mahal na pa bunyag, when you go to confession, the you will pay the church depending the weight of your sins. and holy communion is P per host. kung 10 mo sa family.you will pay P?? x 10 =?. hahahahaha. joke

hahaha... nakasmile man ta sa imong post bai... hehehe... It seems Religion is becoming a business
these days...

[mannyamador]

no offense meant, but sorry to say that i think church does not live anymore thru DONATIONS. as i understood they have a what they called a TARIFA for any religious services they have to perform. DONATIONS is any amount given.

I think that depends on the circumstances. You can get free services from most parishes and from other religious. communities. Usually if they see the person cannot pay, the fees are waived. Sometimes it is left to the discretion of the priest or pastor. Of course there are some religions that impose strict tithing (I think INC does). The Catholic Church does NOT impose tithing and neither do many denominations.

Most religious communities in different religions are perpetually short of cash because of the many charitable and social services they perform. They are very reliant on donations. The revenues from hospitals and other such facilities are sometimes not enough to cover the overall costs of the organizations. In any case, they certainly handle the money better than the government, and this particular administration is one of the worst ever. It makes you wonder if it even deserves our taxes!

[mannyamador]

What this means is that charitable and religious organizations which receive a 501(c)(3) tax exemption have a clear and simple choice to make: they can engage in religious activities and retain their exemption, or they can engage in political activity and lose it, but they cannot engage in political activity and retain their exemption.

As noted earlier, this only applies to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt religious organizations. But since the IRS itself has stated that such an exemption is NOT required for a religious organization to be tax exempt in the first place, then such a restriction on political activity does NOT apply to those religious organizations that have not been granted 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. This is a fact many pastors are not aware of. They do NOT need it and if they do not make the mistake of getting 5019c)(3) tax exempt status, they are NOT bound by any such restrictions. They can speak out, endorse any candidate, or attack any candidate and remain tax exempt.

It’s fine to speak out against abortion, but not to attack a candidate who supports abortion rights or to tell a congregation to urge a representative to vote for a particular bill which would outlaw abortion. It’s fine to speak out against war, but not to endorse a candidate who is also opposed to war.

Only if the group has 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Otherwise, they can speak out directly against a candidate.

The 501(c)93) tax exempt status is an interesting anomaly. It is used to suppress SOME religious groups from expressing sentiment against certain candidates and is clearly an oppressive instrument. But it can be retained through some legalistic sleight of hand since it is a VOLUNTARY status.

Back to the Philippines: Your tax money is STOLEN by the government. It is the CHURCH's money that has to make up for that thievery since the Church has to make up for the woeful lack of government services. The water used by the firemen (or whatever else one can imagine) is NOTHING compared to the money the Church and other religious communities put into serving the people (in effect doing this corrupt government's job!).

Maybe we should have a silent TAX REVOLT against this rotten government and give money to the religious institutions that make better use of it. That's a better idea than taking money from religious organizations and giving it to the thieves in the government.

The Constitution means separation. That means they should be apolitical.

You obviously don't know what Separation of Church and State means. It does NOT mean the Church should be apolitical. It means the government should not exercise any control over religion and that's all. A more detailed analysis is here: Misunderstanding Separation of Church and State PHNix Network Advocate

You disagree? Then show me ANY part of the Constitution that even says that the Church should be apolitical. You WON'T find any. What you WILL find, however, is this:

No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.

That is the ONLY part of the Constitution that explains the provision in Section II, Article 6: "The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable."

Thinking that churches must be apolitical is just a convenient myth used to silence legitimate criticism of this stinking administration.

[rob123]

I think that depends on the circumstances. You can get free services from most parishes and from other religious. communities. Usually if they see the person cannot pay, the fees are waived. Sometimes it is left to the discretion of the priest or pastor. Of course there are some religions that impose strict tithing (I think INC does). The Catholic Church does NOT impose tithing and neither do many denominations.

Most religious communities in different religions are perpetually short of cash because of the many charitable and social services they perform. They are very reliant on donations. The revenues from hospitals and other such facilities are sometimes not enough to cover the overall costs of the organizations. In any case, they certainly handle the money better than the government, and this particular administration is one of the worst ever. It makes you wonder if it even deserves our taxes!

I think you are right it may differ from one parishes to the other, much more from the priest that are assigned to that particular parish. but sad to note that some priest are acting as if there religious obligation are just the same as other profession that you have to consider financial consideration first before anything else. Pardon my language but i myself is a living witness to this subject. and in fairness to other religion i mean the RC Church.

[peewee_toot]

ok ra mn na nga pa bayron og tax ang church. pra fair ba...

[rob123]

TARIFA? unsa LTFRB?

usahay labaw pa sa LTFRB..