Right-Wing Think Tank Family Research Council Is Now a Church in Eyes of the IRS

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.propublica.org/article/family-research-council-irs-church-status

The Family Research Council’s multimillion-dollar headquarters sit on G Street in Washington, D.C., just steps from the U.S. Capitol and the White House, a spot ideally situated for its work as a right-wing policy think tank and political pressure group.

From its perch at the heart of the nation’s capital, the FRC has pushed for legislation banning gender-affirming surgery; filed amicus briefs supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade; and advocated for religious exemptions to civil rights laws. Its longtime head, a former state lawmaker and ordained minister named Tony Perkins, claims credit for pushing the Republican platform rightward over the past two decades.

What is the FRC? Its website sums up the answer to this question in 63 words: “A nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to articulating and advancing a family-centered philosophy of public life. In addition to providing policy research and analysis for the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government, FRC seeks to inform the news media, the academic community, business leaders, and the general public about family issues that affect the nation from a biblical worldview.”

In the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service, though, it is also a church, with Perkins as its religious leader.

According to documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act and given to ProPublica, the FRC filed an application to change its status to an “association of churches,” a designation commonly used by groups with member churches like the Southern Baptist Convention, in March 2020. The agency approved the change a few months later.

The FRC is one of a growing list of activist groups to seek church status, a designation that comes with the ability for an organization to shield itself from financial scrutiny. Once the IRS blessed it as an association of churches, the FRC was no longer required to file a public tax return, known as a Form 990, revealing key staffer salaries, the names of board members and related organizations, large payments to independent contractors and grants the organization has made. Unlike with other charities, IRS investigators can’t initiate an audit on a church unless a high-level Treasury Department official has approved the investigation.

*snip*


This is so fucking wrong on every level

[RANDYWILDMAN]

1. Political hacks who need to pay taxes is what they really are

What a joke.

Our country is not gonna be reformed and work for everybody until the IRS figures out who the bad guys are.

[onecaliberal]

8. They know who the bad guys are. The IRS protects them.

[Freethinker65]

2. Does this "Church" offer services to their community?

Last edited Mon Jul 11, 2022, 07:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Do they have regular services?

How much had they been paying for property taxes? Taxpayers will now be subsidizing the space.

[Midnight Writer]

7. Does this "Church" engage in political campaigning and lobbying?

[onecaliberal]

9. Yes

[Freethinker65]

13. Oh. Most certainly it does and should be taxed

I fail to see what qualified it as a church to begin with?

[shanti]

3. Right after Scientology n/t

[MyOwnPeace]

4. "This is so fucking wrong on every level....."

You may 'think' so, but I'm willing to bet that it'll be OK at the U.S. Supreme Junta, er, Court level....

[Raven123]

5. So now they can be reported to the IRS for illegal political activity.

[MiniMe]

6. There are many not-for-profits that qualify and aren't churches

[Initech]

10. Get your religion out of my government, you fucking assholes!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. Didn't Jesus say, "Let the money launderers be free of Caesar's taxes!"?

[duckworth969]

12. Tax all churches, no exceptions

If we did that, all stupid shit like this would stop.

[Duppers]

15. Indeed! 👍

[keithbvadu2]

14. And it can farm out its sermons, services, and sacraments.

And it can farm out its sermons, services, and sacraments.

No need to actually do all that faith stuff.