I think there definitely needs to be a reexamination of the issue. These megachurches have gotten completely out of hand and are abusing their tax exemption.

At the very least they should be held to the same standard as other non-profits. They should have to open their books to prove that they really are using money to help the community. They should also have to help people in the community of other religions or no religion or pay taxes. Recently, a church in North Carolina was helping run a unemployment fraud scheme in order to keep the tithes coming in. It needs to stop.

There are four categories of tax exemption in the US. Health, education, welfare, and religion. The first three file a 990 form with the government, which means that they have to declare their income and for what it is used. Religions do not file and their tax exempt profits are not recorded. We can only estimate their incredible wealth. Not only do they accept donations, as well as selling holy oil, holy water, DVD's, and books, but they own vast amounts of land. That land is bought, sold, rented out, and used for profit making businesses, without paying a dime in taxes. In addition, the churches run other profit making businesses which they categorize under religious exemption. They also will operate schools, soup kitchens, and health facilities, filing under religion, instead of education, welfare, or health, enabling them to cheat the tax payer. We are all subsidizing religious organizations, which violates our separation between state and church.

If churches performed the charitable acts that are generally attributed to them, subtract those philanthropist $ from taxes owed. Those really doing works won't pay taxes, but those not can have the govt "help" them be more generous.

I do hope that the religious exception to taxes goes away sooner than later - maybe the satanist church can help with that, as its member often has fun using any "religious law" to show their absurdity; once, a state in the USA voted a law to allow religious people to give religious propaganda items on school grounds, and the satanist church started giving booklets on the wonders of satanism to middle school kids - iirc, it took less than a month for the law to be repealed.

Here in Hawaii churches DO pay taxes! However, they only pay the minimum tax, currently $200/yr. This applies to every church regardless of how much it's worth. I think that they should pay the FULL tax due based on the value of the property and land. And while we are at it, the churches should be subject to the penalties imposed by the civilian authorities for the sexual abuse attributed to the priests, etc. Forget about the higher church saying, "We will take care of it."

It's a damn good business, maybe they'll just tell you, "seek life elsewhere!" LOL