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The US #Treasury & #IRS will soon provide "guidance" to religious orgs. (like churches) on their interpretation of the Johnson Amendment's relevance to them.
The Johnson Amend (1954) prohibits all 501(c)(3) tax exempt organizations (like churches) from endorsing/opposing political candidates ⬅️
The US Treasury's blog (see below) alludes to 1st Amend conflicts with the Johnson Amend & religious orgs. The IRS has already selectively stopped enforcing the provision 👀
2🧵–
IRS says churches can now endorse political candidates~
(from last July)
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/08/nx-s1-5460886/irs-now-says-pastors-can-endorse-political-candidates
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Background on the Johnson Amendment:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Amendment
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And on the case mentioned in the Treasury Dept's blog (screenshots in the previous post). The case was dismissed w/o prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69105317/national-religious-broadcasters-v-werfel/
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https://kpmg.com/us/en/taxnewsflash/news/2026/04/federal-court-rejects-deal-allow-churches-political-speech.html
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-rejects-irs-agreement-to-let-pastors-endorse-political-candidates/ar-AA1ZVDzZ
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3🧵–
So, stressing this again (since I know it might seem really boring 🥱) –
The IRS & Treasury are interpreting congressional bills signed into law and deciding when to enforce what the bills say.
I wonder if the #IRS will treat ALL religious organizations the same... not just approved Christian (& maybe Jewish) ones 🤔
#MyThoughts
#USA
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Pastors who endorse political candidates shouldn’t lose tax-exempt status, IRS says~
(from last July)
https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-trump-nonprofit-religion-courts-eee4b690ad475d5c8a52137c14cb03de
The IRS says pastors endorsing political candidates during services should not risk losing their tax-exempt status. This challenges the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 rule barring tax-exempt groups, including churches, from political endorsements. On Monday, the IRS and a Christian media group asked a Texas court to stop enforcing the rule against religious organizations. The group argues the amendment violates their First Amendment rights. The IRS has rarely enforced the rule against churches. In 2017, President Donald Trump signed an order to limit its enforcement, and Republican lawmakers have since pushed to repeal it.
4🧵 –
"The IRS emphasized that this position is 'consistent with a long-standing pattern of selective enforcement,' and referenced a 2017 executive order issued by then-President Trump directing the IRS not to pursue penalties against religious organizations engaged in political speech."
#USA #US #USpol #trump #IRS #TaxExemption #501C3 #religion #law #JohnsonAmendment
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ˈdälfən™🐬 💥 🌊