IRS May Go After Baptist Minister, Who Openly Endorsed Political Candidates

IRS May Go After Baptist Minister, Who Openly Endorsed Political Candidates

As a tax professional, I know that 501(c)(3) status and politics DON'T MIX. But some people never seem to learn. Today, the Star Tribute reported on a Baptist minister; Rev. Brad Brandon's endorsement of 11 candidates, most of them Republicans. that may be in trouble with the IRS because of his open political endorsements from the pulpit.

Tax law prohibits churches and other non-profit groups from openly endorsing candidates, although private individuals may choose to endorse political candidates for office.

The waters get muddy when the church gets involved in political matters, because the assumption is that the organization is using tax-free dollars to influence elections. And that's a real no-no.

Now, this doesn't mean that church members or churches cannot have a political opinion but they cannot keep their non-profit status if they advocate for a certian political candidate.This is difficult for some to understand, but the idea is that a non-profit (exempt) entity cannot use tax free dollars to push a political agenda. Period.

They have the option of losing their non-profit status, though-- and at that point they can support any political candidate that they wish. The problem is, of course, that churches want they cake, and still eat it, too.

Most of the time, the IRS just issues a slap on the wrist, but in this case, the pastor is posting his political views on the church's website. It gets a little hairy at that point. The pastor should set up his own website for his political endorsements and post them there, but he probably won't. We'll see how this plays out.

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