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If you
would like to contribute articles, commentary, links to related web
sites or other information, please email us at info@taxchurches.com.
We would like to make this a comprehensive resource for information
about the issue of taxing churches.
Throughout this site when we refer to churches, we are including
other worship or religious facilities. Most religions in the U.S.
use the term church but there are many other names for similar type of
facilities.
When it was first decided that churches and other religious centers
would be tax exempt, they had modest buildings and conservative budgets/expenditures.
Today that has changed for most churches. Many churches of today
have elaborate facilities and budgets more like that of corporate
America.
Today we see churches with elaborate facilities and other
assets. It is not uncommon for churches to provide ministers with
lavish homes in elite areas of a community and luxury automobiles.
In our beginning research, we have found parsonages with values over one
million dollars and church provided automobiles such as Roles Royce,
Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and others. We found a church
that owns a Gulfstream Jet with an estimated value of $5.375 million and
a Gates Learjet with an estimated value of $985,000.
In most areas, when a church buys property, it is taken off the tax
base for the community. In turn, tax payers millage rates go up
subsidize that property. If churches were taxed, either the tax
rate could be lowered or needed services could be provided. Many
communities are struggling to provide imperative services to protect the
lives and property of their citizens. Money received from taxing
churches could be used to fund law enforcement, fire services, hospitals
and schools. Most communities rely on volunteer firefighters and
many have outdated equipment while neighboring churches have modern
buildings and late model luxury buses.
We found a county government that was paving church parking lots at the expense
of the community while the volunteer fire department had a gravel
parking lot. Many churches spend millions of
dollars on their buildings but never put even $1 into helping pay for
schools or police and fire protections like other property owners.
In many states, the rich church lobbyist have gotten laws passed to
exempt churches from even paying sales taxes. |
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Daytona
Beach, FL proposed a fire tax where everyone has to pay, including
churches since they receive fire department protection. 'No free lunches.'
Related
articles in the Daytona Beach News-Journal:
08/19/2002:
Daytona Beach fire chief clears the scene
08/08/2002:
Daytona Beach Fire Chief Skinner resigns
07/22/2002:
Officials: More time is needed for fire-tax issue
07/18/2002:
Daytona Beach commission extinguishes fire-tax plan
07/17/2002:
Fire tax still divides Daytona commissioners
07/17/2002:
Schools want fire tax exemption
07/16/2002:
Opinion An unfair levy: Fire tax not the answer for Daytona Beach
07/16/2002:
Letter to the Editor No to Daytona Beach fire tax
07/14/2002:
Daytona's fire tax proposal scares others.
07/13/2002:
Volusia School Board seeks fire tax break.
07/09/2002:
County blasts Daytona Beach fire tax plan.
07/09/2002:
Opinion Fire tax: Quick fix is not solution for Daytona Beach.
07/07/2002:
Letters to the Editor Fire fee taxation without representation.
07/06/2002:
County resistant to Daytona's application of fire service tax.
07/04/2002:
Divided council gives initial approval to fire fee.
07/03/2002:
Fire-tax talk alarms school, county officials.
06/30/2002:
Work force, service cuts expected if tax hikes fail.
06/20/2002:
Fire rate exemption could reduce haul by $1 million.
06/19/2002:
Letters to the Editor: (a) No to a Daytona Beach fire tax. (b)
Consolidated fire/rescue.
06/17/2002:
Possible fire-service fee sparks Daytona debate.
06/16/2002:
Some type of tax increase seen as solution for Daytona budget woes.
06/06/2002:
Daytona bends to church power, plans to exempt religious properties from
proposed fire service tax
06/05/2002:
Fire fee aims at cutting Daytona's budget deficit.
Related
articles in the Orlando Sentinel:
07/19/2002:
Proposed fire tax goes up in smoke in Daytona
07/18/2002:
Daytona fire tax is moving ahead despite protests
07/14/2002:
Daytona fire fee sets off some sparks.
07/14/2002:
Fire-fee proposal sets off sparks.
07/14/2002:
When making ends meet, fees are in, taxes are out
**NOTE:
this topic is currently being updated. Please check back for additional
information being posted.
Religion
on Welfare: The case for taxing churches in Alachua County, FL.
An
investigative report released by the Humanist Society of Gainesville, FL
(HSG) found that Alachua County residents provided a $1.8 million property tax
subsidy to county-wide religious organizations in 1993. A total of 516
religious properties in the county are tax exempt, and carry a total
assessed value of approximately $65 million. [full
report] (will take you to the HSG site)
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