Wednesday, February 24, 2010
C St. house in DC is not a church
So say 13 real ministers in a complaint to the IRS.
The C Street Center, which owns the 1880-vintage townhouse, claims status as a church. And as with other religious organizations, the IRS takes the center's word that it is a church. As a result, the center doesn't have to file public tax returns, as most non-profit organizations must do.If this effort succeeds, as it should, we can expect modifications to the tax code to exclude knocking shops that cater to Congress. Lord knows the boyos need some "west and wewaxation" as Elmer Fudd would say.
The arrangement fits the C Street Center's practically invisible public presence. But now a group of 13 ministers has asked the IRS to revoke that church status.
Their complaint, delivered to the IRS Tuesday, says, "An organization whose chief activity is providing room and board to members of Congress is not a church." It cites a list of 15 factors that the agency considers in granting church status.
"Is there public worship?" said the leader of the ministers group, Pastor Eric Williams, of the North Congregational United Church of Christ, in Columbus, Ohio. "Is it open to the public? Are there trained leaders who serve the church? C Street really has none of those marks that make it a church."
And if it is not a church, Williams says other questions come up, as to whether the C Street Center's fundraising and other activities meet the requirements for 501(c)(3) charities.
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