Electioneering ban protects church integrity, says IRS chief.At a March 14 National Press Club luncheon in Washington, D.C., Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Mark Everson said the federal tax law ban on electioneering by churches is essential to "protect their integrity." Less than a month after the IRS An abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency charged with the responsibility of administering and enforcing internal revenue laws. announced an escalated drive to enforce the ban on politicking by churches and other tax-exempt charities, the head of the federal tax agency re-affirmed his commitment to the project. "I am particularly concerned about prohibited pro·hib·it tr.v. pro·hib·it·ed, pro·hib·it·ing, pro·hib·its 1. To forbid by authority: Smoking is prohibited in most theaters. See Synonyms at forbid. 2. political intervention A procedure used in a lawsuit by which the court allows a third person who was not originally a party to the suit to become a party, by joining with either the plaintiff or the defendant. by charities and churches as we head into the 2006 electoral season," said Everson. "Clearly, political intervention by charities and churches is an area where the IRS must tread tread injury to the coronet of the horse's hoof by treading on it by the opposite hoof, or by another horse when they are being worked in a team. If the coronary matrix is injured there may be a subsequent crack or deformity. carefully. There are few bright lines for evaluating political intervention. But I am convinced that we must act. We can't afford to have our charitable and religious institutions undermined by politics." During a question-and-answer period, Everson was asked why the IRS is devoting time to church-based politicking instead of chasing down "tax cheats." Everson responded that the agency is "sensitive to the absolute fact that free speech and religious liberty are terribly important." "But at the same time," he continued, "the Congress has set in law and the Supreme Court has upheld that while those rights are enshrined in our Constitution, you don't have a right to be subsidized sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. by the American taxpayer through a tax exemption tax exemption, immunity from the requirement of paying taxes. Federal, state, and usually local law provide exemption from taxation for a wide variety of organizations, usually not-for-profit, such as churches, colleges, universities, health care providers, various ." |
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