Taxing the Churches and Helping the Homeless (Friday, May 10, 2013)

When it comes to helping the homeless, oftentimes people think of church outreaches — and when it comes to talk about taxing churches, many think of an atheist campaign. We’re going to mix up those preconceived notions.

ATHEISTS HELPING THE HOMELESS, WITH JOE ZAMECKI (about 15 minutes into the show).

Kicking off the first segment of the May 10, 2013, Freethought Fridays and Variety Show is Joe Zamecki, joining us from Austin to give us an update on the Atheists Helping the Homeless (AHH) program.

Back in September 2009, Joe and two of his colleagues started a giveaway program for the homeless in Austin, Texas.  Atheists Helping the Homeless has now grown to include regular giveways in Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth … and maybe more.

Joe will give us an update on the program’s successes.

IS IT TIME TO TAX THE CHURCHES?  OR RETHINK PARSONAGE EXEMPTIONS?  Insight from Robert Baty, Retired IRS Appeals Officer (About 30 Minutes Into the Show)

Robert Baty was a guest on the March 15 show, where we talked about separation of church and state issues.  We only had about ten minutes to talk with Robert, who says it is time for Congress to repeal the parsonage income tax exemption enjoyed by religious ministers.

The parsonage exemption under §107 provides substantial benefits to ministers, who can  exclude virtually all the costs of home ownership from their taxable income.  This includes down payments, mortgage principal and interest payments, title and other fees, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, homeowners liability insurance, rental payments and so forth.  Additionally, they get to exclude costs associated with home maintenance and improvements from their taxable income — and that includes utilities, repairs, furniture, appliances (even things like pool tables and vacuum cleaners), home décor, telephones, television, light bulbs and cleaning supplies.

Robert inside the Indianapolis Baptist Temple during the infamous “seige” whereby the Government took over the property, after the Dixons finally gave it up, to satisfy a tax judgment.

What Robert had to say last time he joined the show was so revealing that we knew we had to have him back for a longer interview – and he’s agreed to be our featured guest Friday, May 10, 2013.

Although he’s worked with the Freedom From Religion Foundation in the realm of the parsonage exemption, Baty is a Christian.

A retired IRS Appeals Officer, Robert received a special citation from the Office of Area Director Appeals, for his “commitment to excellence, devotion to duty, and hard work which so significantly contributed to Appeals Area 7 being recognized as the most Outstanding Area in the Nation.”

In addition to his post-retirement work in supporting the effort to repeal Internal Revenue Code § 107, as presently codified and administered, that allows only “ministers” to receive income tax free income as long as it is spent on housing, Baty argues against young earth “creation science,” demonstrating why it fails in its scientific pretentions and legal challenges.  He’s been particularly interested in creationist Kent and Jo Hovinand’s tax cases.

Baty’s research on the parsonage exemption has been cited by Peter J. Reilly, Forbes Contributor, published in Forbes online.

Show Time: Friday night, May 10, 2013, 6 Pacific / 7 Mountain / 8 Central / 9 Eastern (Additional time conversions at the World Time Server).

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