Tax 'Em All

Angry, angry. There are those who are upset with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for weighing in on civic matters while maintaining tax-exempt status.

Yank that tax-free status, they say.

Well, then, maybe we should. Now, churches are not alone in having tax-exempt status and yet weighing in on political issues. Some organizations are set up for that very purpose. They are set with the intent of wielding political influence. There is a movement against corporate personhood, for example, and some of those entities are set up as non-profit. There very purpose is political. The church of Jesus Christ is not. It is a religious organization. That is its purpose. It just happens to get involved in ballot initiates and matters that are legislated because they are not only political, but moral issues.

So, certainly include all other non-profits if we are to change the law.

What can we do? Leave their income tax exempt, except for the income they use to campaign and lobby with. If  they advertise or campaign for or against abortion, corporate personhood, or whatever, tax 'em. Tax 'em all.

This would not keep them from speaking on social matters, or moral concerns. A person can express his or her opinion in public in other ways than advertising. Let them continue to do so, without being taxed. It is only when they expend money on their cause that their income would be taxed.

Well, this solution is not perfect. It does have a flaw. As soon as they are taxed, these organizations are going to suggest their freedom of speech is being taxed, it is being limited. Would the Court hold that the income is being taxed, or would it say it is free speech that is being taxed?

As the law now stands, we cannot contribute to political causes and write our expenses off our taxes. It could be argued, by the same reasoning, our free speech is being taxed.