The Tax Code Explained & Why It Matters In This Presidential Race (No, It’s Not 70K Pages)
Two quick examples. Somebody comes before the Tax Court and says that they don’t believe wages are income. The Tax Court tells them that they are wrong – so wrong in fact that they are going to be sanctioned for making a stupid argument. People keep doing it anyway, which adds to the body of case law. Organizations that don’t qualify for exempt status apply for it and are turned down. That adds to the body of private letter rulings, which thanks to the Freedom of Information Act are no longer entirely private. There is no way I can conceive of to prevent that body of material from continuing to grow.
Tax Rules Forbid Churches From Endorsing Candidates, Will IRS Take Action?
The Alliance Defending Freedom is very upset about that rule and has started a movement called “Pulpit Freedom Sunday”. In 2014, over 1600 pastors made election speeches and sent tapes of them to the IRS more or less daring them to do something about it. The IRS response was underwhelming enough to spark a lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which they withdrew after the IRS somehow convinced FFRF that it would not remain supine on the issue.
Follow Me
Over and over again courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one’s affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant.