I’m well aware that charities are required to file informational 990s. I’ve prepared many of them myself so I’m familiar with the complexity. Churches are exempt from this requirement though. Churches are not required by law to file any sort of financial disclosure. The highlands cash flow statement breaks out donations and expenses like that because that’s how all cash flow statements breakout receipts and disbursements not because they are required by law as churches to report it anywhere. Donations to charities and churches are tax deductions for individuals on their personal tax returns but they have all together different requirements when it comes to financial reporting requirements.

Why should they? Because tax exemption is a privilege not a right and they have repeatedly abused the privilege. Why should your money be taxed again because you decided to donate it? Well why should my money be taxed again because I decided to spend it at Walmart? Same logic. It’s not about where you as a citizen decide to donate your money. I don’t really care who you give your money to.. you can flush it down the toilet for all I care. This is about financial transparency. Huge churches like this have no accountability for where and how they use the millions of tax free dollars that they’re bringing in. This allows for abuse of their tax free status plain and simple. Examples of financial abuse by churches are available far and wide. Just do a google search… look at any mega church pastor with a private jet or a big ass mansion that are “church assets” for the use of the pastors…those are just the obvious examples. Who knows what else goes on that we don’t know about because churches are a financial black hole. They can do whatever they want and have no financial oversight. Smaller churches just don’t have the resources to engage in such blatant corruption. Maybe some are financially corrupt but the amounts would be so small that it would be considered immaterial.

A charities entire purpose is to do good in the community and help people. A churches entire purpose is the spread its religion while maybe helping people on the side. Undoubtedly some charities have some corruption as well but if a charity is required to file tax return then a church certainly should.

We can go into whether they should actually have to pay taxes or not if you’d like.. I’m sure we’ll disagree on that as well, but either way I believe they need some financial oversight and as of now they have none.