US Edition
IRS says churches can endorse political candidates to congregations
UNITED STATES, JUL 8 – The IRS settled a Texas lawsuit to reinterpret the Johnson Amendment, allowing political endorsements from pulpits and reflecting a 32% public approval rate, Lifeway Research found.
- Earlier this week, both the plaintiffs and the IRS jointly asserted that the Johnson Amendment should not prevent churches from sharing religious messages with their members.
- This statement followed a lawsuit filed last August by the National Religious Broadcasters Association and others seeking to end enforcement of the 1954 Johnson Amendment.
- The IRS explained it has rarely enforced the amendment against churches for political speech, while President Trump signed a 2017 executive order directing Treasury to disregard it.
- Republican lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this year that aims to repeal the Johnson Amendment, which bans tax-exempt groups from endorsing political candidates.
- This development suggests a potential carve-out for religious organizations to endorse candidates without risking tax-exempt status, impacting political speech rules for houses of worship.
329 Articles
329 Articles
Cindy Briggs-Biondi: Houses of God shouldn't preach politics (Opinion)
You may have seen the recent news that the Internal Revenue Service will now allow houses of worship to endorse candidates for political office without losing their tax-exempt status. There will be congregations and pastors who embrace this change. I,…
New tax policy may bring political campaigns to the pulpit, critics say • Iowa Capital Dispatch
New tax policy may enshrine a space for political campaigning within places of worship. Shown is the Open Bible College in Des Moines. (Photo via Google Earth)Iowa faith leaders expressed mixed reactions to an Internal Revenue Service court filing allowing houses of worship to endorse political candidates while maintaining nonprofit status. Critics say the move could open the door to more campaign spending and political division. “If you have t…
Cherokee Tribune Ledger News
New tax policy may bring political campaigns to the pulpit, critics say
Iowa faith leaders expressed mixed reactions to an Internal Revenue Service court filing allowing houses of worship to endorse political candidates while maintaining nonprofit status. Critics say the move could open the door to more campaign spending and political division.…
IRS Ruling Frees Churches to Discuss Politics, Angering Atheists · Caldron Pool
An Internal Revenue Service (IRS) restriction on free speech in faith communities has been labelled unconstitutional. The United States District Court in Eastern Texas took on the case, which saw the IRS admit that the law was flawed. Known as the Johnson Amendment, the gag order on tax-free 501c organisations goes back to before Lyndon B. Johnson was president. When he was a senator, Johnson is said to have pushed the 1954 amendment because of …
No, Churches Still May Not Endorse Political Candidates - First Things
In the latest example of journalists and the online commentariat misstating the nuances of a high-stakes legal issue, dozens of headlines have been reporting that the IRS will now allow churches to endorse political candidates. While the outcome in National Religious Broadcasters v. Long does mark a shift in the IRS’ interpretation of 501(c)(3)—the tax code that grants tax-exempt status to nonprofit organizations—the resolution is not what the h…
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