IRS says churches can endorse political candidates without losing tax-exempt status

[BumRushDaShow]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Lasher (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: CNBC

Published Tue, Jul 8 2025 10:20 AM EDT Updated 43 Min Ago


The IRS said in a new federal court filing that churches can endorse political candidates to their congregations without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status. The move upends a 70-year-old interpretation of the U.S. tax code, whose Johnson Amendment has barred certain non-profit groups, including churches, from endorsing political candidates without putting their tax-exempt status in jeopardy.

President Donald Trump has long called for Johnson Amendment to be repealed.

“Communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted,” the IRS said in the joint filing Monday with the National Religious Broadcasters group in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

“When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection with religious services, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it neither ‘participate[s]” nor ‘intervene[s]’ in a ‘political campaign,’ within the ordinary meaning of those words,” the filing said.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/08/irs-church-candidates-tax-politics.html

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Link to FILING (PDF) - https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txed.232590/gov.uscourts.txed.232590.35.0.pdf

This apparently happened (quietly) yesterday and was intentionally buried. A CBS article referenced a report by the NYT that was published yesterday.


Article updated.

Previous article -

Published Tue, Jul 8 2025 10:20 AM EDT Updated 2 Min Ago


The IRS said in a new federal court filing that churches can endorse political candidates without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status. The move upends a 70-year interpretation of the U.S. tax code, whose Johnson Amendment has barred non-profit groups, including churches, from endorsing political candidates without putting their tax-exempt status in jeopardy.

"Communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted," the IRS said in the joint filing with the National Religious Broadcasters group in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

"When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection with religious services, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it neither 'participate[s]" nor 'intervene[s]' in a 'political campaign,' within the ordinary meaning of those words," the filing said.

The filing was part of a joint motion by the IRS, the National Religious Broadcasters, and two churches, Sand Springs Church and First Baptist Church Waksom to resolve a lawsuit through a consent judgment.

Original article -

Published Tue, Jul 8 2025 10:20 AM EDT Updated 1 Min Ago


The IRS in a new federal court filing says that churches can endorse political candidates without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status.

The move upends a 70-year interpretation of the U.S. tax code, whose Johnson Amendment has barred non-profit groups, including churches, from endorsing political candidates without putting their tax-exempt status in jeopardy.

"When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection with religious services, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it neither "participate[s]" nor "intervene[s]" in a "political campaign," within the ordinary meaning of those words," the lawyers for the IRS and the National Religious Broadcasters said in filing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.


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[FarPoint]

1. Immediately....

We need the law suits filed ...separation of church and state..

[Wild blueberry]

2. You mean a Frump stooge in the IRS wrote this

Still not constitutional. Still a violation of the separation of church and state.

[bcbink]

3. heart breading

and just plain wrong

[walkingman]

4. This is not good for out party - there are a lot of churches out there, although many white churchs

were not following it anyway. Yes, churches in the Bible Belt are basically segregated - not sure about elsewhere?

[PSPS]

5. Big deal. They've been getting away with it ... forever.

They even hand out voting guides to their congregations.

[2na fisherman]

6. Wolves In Sheep's Clothing?

So how soon will US Catholic priests, under guidance by Pope Leo XIV, give Sunday sermons and homilies in opposition to Trump and his ungodly inhumane agenda and his Seven Sins of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth?
But I say tax all churches and especially those phony "ministries" who fleece their flocks gathering millions to buy planes, yachts and live in multi-million dollar mansions called "parsonages." How much genuine grace and tangible benefits to society would there be if all those billions lost to church tax exemptions were spent on needed social programs to better the lives of all instead of the few wolves in sheep's clothing?

[cstanleytech]

7. Churches getting tax exempt in exchange for not doing so is a gift. Not a Constitutional requirement.

[in2herbs]

8. So now the IRS is dictating Constitutional law? What happened to the separation of church and state? nt

[RussBLib]

9. Non-stop bullshit

...this is yet another thing that will have to be "fixed" once we get these grifters and corrupt sycophants out of government.

[PortTack]

10. And we will get them out!

[lamp_shade]

11. Should say "Trump's IRS says....."

[grockri]

12. Well I have left churches before.

I have left churches I have attended before, because of politics from the pulpit. I won't darken the door of a right wing church. Unfortunately its most of them. I attend an opening and affirming church now. I guess we can recommend lefties now. I never agreed with politics in church, not even my own. Talk about Christ and thats it. But now I guess whats good for one is good for all.

[SoFlaBro]

13. Fuck the church. This is why the stupid fucking institution is dying on the vine - all of this fuck-shit.

[Jit423]

14. This does not only upend this rule, it upends American democracy as we knew it. The American Taliban is taking over.

Soon the women and girls will be required to wear the red capes and white bonnets outside and be naked wearing just aprons inside.

[Martin68]

15. Does the IRS have the same policy for Mosques?

[DrFunkenstein]

16. 501(c)(3) Status Has To Pass The 3 Prongs of the Lemon Test

This has been established law for generations now, but the current SCOTUS nutballs have been trying to nullify just like they did with Roe v. Wade. This is a clear violation of the so-called "Entanglement Prong" in relation to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Since 2022, though, the wingnuts have suggested that the Lemon Test no longer has sway (just 'cause...).

[Nigrum Cattus]

17. Time for ALL "non-profits" to pay up.

If they want police, fire, and any other public service
they need to pay for it ! We the people are no longer
going to pay their bills. This is one of the many rewards
that the white "christian" nationalists were promised.

[twodogsbarking]

18. Have your money laundered. In by noon out by five and you get eternal salvation if you act now.

[Lasher]

19. Locking.

This is a LBN duplicate. Please continue discussion in this earlier thread.