Maybe this will become a trend: MADISON — A federal judge has ruled unconstitutional a law that lets clergy members avoid paying income taxes on compensation that is designated part of a housing allowance. The decision Friday by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb could have far-reaching financial ramifications for pastors, who currently can use the untaxed income to pay rental housing costs or the costs of home ownership, including mortgage payments and property taxes. “It’s a really big deal,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, which filed the lawsuit. “A church currently could pay a minister $50,000 but designate $20,000 of it a housing allowance so that only $30,000 would be taxed as salary. Crabb acknowledged in her decision that the exemption is a boon to ministers, referencing a 2002 statement by then-U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad of Minnesota that the tax exemption would save clergy members $2.3 billion in taxes from 2002-07. But she said the magnitude of the benefit only underscores what’s wrong with the law. The exemption “provides a benefit to religious persons and no one else, even though doing so is not necessary to alleviate a special burden on religious exercise,” Crabb wrote." lacrosstribune.com Tax exemption was officially given to churches in the US in 1894, unofficially since it's founding. That's buku bucks churches get to keep. And it doesn't make sense because the issue of tax exemption for religion came up before about 2000 years ago. Jesus, the voice of God, was asked about Roman taxes and he flat out told everybody to give to Cesar what is Cesaer's. It takes a lot of nerve for lawmakers to go against the spoken word of God. Maybe that ruling will start to change things.
