Spread the non-taxation to all and bankrupt the overspending looter federal state. Return to everyone the ability to choose where the fruit of his labor goes.
A five percent consumption tax to replace all other federal taxes is adequate for constitutionally authorized federal government activity. Strictly limit federal government borrowing to eliminate any possibility of federal debt accumulation.
We MUST stop financially supporting activities that we do not support philosophically.

The term "sacred cow" comes to mind.
"How to have a large voting block" is a secondary thought I came back to edit in.

My church was founded thru the "Church of Universal Harmony" sometime back in the 70's. So far as I know that entity and it's 2 founders have disappeared from the shadows. LOL

And the remedy is again the same: eliminate corporate taxes altogether. The power to tax is the power of coercion and it should be used in the fewest places possible.

"Abandoning the non-taxable model is a first step."

Politically, you'll get zero sponsorship on that kind of bill. You won't get any of the progressives to vote for it because that includes all of their political action groups. You won't get any conservatives because they all go to church. I don't even think in a referendum you'd get 10% to vote for it. It's an interesting idea, but a non-starter.

What I've noticed is that there are no baby-steps in politics. It's all or nothing. So let's just focus on educating people about how corporate taxes are a double tax and concentrate on eliminating the taxes in one shot. It's unlikely to get much support from Democrats, but at least our current President could get behind it.

"Social retaliation", especially by your boss or landlord or anyone who cares to call them up and smear you, is the root of most unfreedom. You can see in Iran, and in China during the reign of Mao, what happens if those people have the power to destroy your success in life. That is not permissible.

Well, yes, before the days of not-for-profit non-taxable organizations, that was true. It may well be true today, but, the law says that you cannot be an untaxed NFP and participate in politics.

For instance, some states do not tax gold, silver, and numismatic items. Coin clubs have an opinion on that. However, any NFP, such as the American Numismatic Association or the Michigan State Numismatic Society, would lose their status if they participated in the debates.

So, I agree with your point: it was (and is) history. But the social landscape changed with the creation of NFPs as a tax-exempt businesses.

Moreover, the deeper question is why churches do not pay taxes, considering that other businesses do.

I disagree. I think that public disclosure of donors is an important part of the process.

You know the saying "Stand up and be counted." In colonial America, that was how we voted. The secret ballot is the Australian ballot because criminals do not trust each others. Free people do not fear their neighbors. Yes, it was not perfect. Yes, social retaliation happens. Life is imperfect. But you should have the courage of your convictions, rather than slipping envelopes of cash under the table in a restaurant.

I am also a minister in the Universal Life Church. I participated in a "new age" convention many years back and to deflect the laws against "fortune tellers" we were required to be clergy and the ULC was the best route.

Nice metaphor Herb. I can picture that.

Consciousness soars on the wings of metaphor's.

Campaigning for the next election already? Didn't take long to become a swamp denizen.

Eliminate all tax free institutions. They are part of the swamp.

I HAVE such a church, a sub of the Universal Life Church, in which I became an ordained minister and use it to save a ton on taxes. Could marry somebody and more such, but never did.

As noted, we tax newspapers, and "entertainment."

In some places - Ohio when I lived there -newspapers are tax-except at that level of government on the same basis that the power to tax is the power to destroy.

I absolutely agree with you. However, we need to get to the end goal through a plan of action.

Abandoning the non-taxable model is a first step. There are ever increasing numbers of non-taxables getting registered each year. Per the Secretaries of State around the USA, this is now a near "holy" business structure with oh, so many sanctions and special benefits.

Only when people understand how much the non-taxable is a gravy train for the enslavers, their organizations and their agendas, will they be willing to find another path to what they want.

A first personal step we took was to stop using tax funded services. Don't go to "Concerts in the Park" or the latest city sponsored "fun event or festival". Don't go to the zoo, the art museum, the ballet, the symphony or a million events each year.

I tolerate the library as I have a near perpetual chair in the Sterling Writers Room but if you saw the "homeless refuge" the main library has become, you may not agree even with that exemption.

We encourage all new startup enterprises to embrace the corporate rather than non-taxable model during formation of their businesses.

We actually want to GET to your goal above but we also want to start seeing ideas for ways and means to get there.

This is also how you solve it more locally. Focus on the sphere of influence we can realistically engage in and stop using our time on learning more about the problem.

Another tactic is to support products and services produced by taxable business entities. If it's a nature video, we get it from Barnes & Noble, not the Audubon Book Store.

There are extremely few liberty organizations who are NOT non-taxables. LewRockwell.com is the only one I know of.

We try and put our money, not where our mouth is, but where our values are and that's for profit businesses...always.

We are no longer (if we ever were) a true republic. We have traveled too far down the road to some form of socialist state to ever go to being a self relying free Capitalist state. The best we can do is keep from crossing the line from right to left.I realize that it is frustrating when you know the solution but can never apply it due to to the ignorance of your fellow citizens.

"Beautiful Dreamer"
Not only a song by Stephen Foster but a description of your (and mine) plan.

I see voluntary charity as a good thing that should be given tax exemption. But if we're going to have tax-exempt churches because going to churches is a first amendment right, then I'd extend that to the rest of the first amendment by making news media, political campaign groups, and maybe entertainment media all tax-exempt too. And I'd do away with the present forced public disclosures of donors' names by both political and tax-exempt groups, which enable retaliation by other parts of the bureaucracy.

The real solution is to repeal corporate income taxes entirely. Then there are no designations of "tax-exempt" status, etc. No targeting or audits by the IRS to chill freedom of speech. Everyone is free to speak their mind and choose whom they will listen to.

When this nation was founded, there were no corporate income taxes and churches were heavily engaged in politics, with preachers endorsing political candidates. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this - it is (or should be) protected speech. If Mark Cuban can endorse, why not Billy Graham?

This more a reaction to the abuse of IRS as a bludgeon to punish those in opposition than a purposeful action. If Obama hadn't sicced the IRS on churches for opposing the transgender bathroom order, this probably wouldn't even have come up.

Interesting that no one seemed to care about whether or not President Obama could withhold federal monies from a state for non-compliance with the transgender bathroom order, yet have declared that President Trump can't withhold federal monies from states for noncompliance with immigration laws.

The problem with taxing "churches" is that there is a direct conflict with the First Amendment. One can not tax something and still claim it is free.

Actually, the whole taxation of businesses needs to die. Then it doesn't matter what the purpose of the organization is - they can contribute to the political discussion.

1. That's because after income taxes were established, companies did the natural thing: they tried to limit their tax burden according to the built-in loopholes in the tax code. It's less about the type of organization but about the fact that there was taxation at all. Prior to the 1913 tax amendment, any taxation on businesses was local - not Federal.

2. Prior to 1913, any taxation was at a State level - not a Federal level. Make sure to make that distinction because what we are talking about here are Federal rules.

3. This is a local issue - not a Federal Tax issue. They are separate and distinct problems.

4. That's because they are laundering and sheltering each others' incomes to avoid the taxes. This all becomes irrelevant if you eliminate corporate taxes.

5. Again, this is a local - not a Federal issue. I'm not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that there are two approaches and they affect two completely separate bodies of tax code.

6. Again, this becomes a non-issue on elimination of corporate taxes. See #1 above: this is a natural result of trying to limit exposure to taxes and maximize income.

The report would be interesting. I'd love a copy.

Agreed. The simple solution is to repeal all corporate taxes. Then there is no such thing as the IRS targeting for political speech. No "not-for-profits" to worry about. And since corporate taxes are overwhelmingly passed through to consumers anyway, it's really a double tax on the consumer.

It is easy to see that the entire concept of tax-free institutions should be re-appraised. It is a mish-mash more tangled than a girl with braided hair after a day of swimming.

I read that preachers were the community leaders who helped to stir up the American Revolution. Same thing happened during the Civil War.
Evangelicals were openly political when they very publicly backed Trump before the election.
Southern Baptists are why there are dry counties in Alabama~
http://abcboard.alabama.gov/(S(g35kyu...
Just sayin'~