IRS goes after NAACP. Should it go after churches next?

The USAToday is reporting the IRS is investigating the NAACP’s tax exempt status because of speeches made against President Bush. Basically, issue-based organizations can operate tax free. That is, until they start behaving like political action committees--or into today’s parlance: 527 groups.

There is a fine line between advocating and campaigning. At what point does advocating pro-black policies turn into a campaign for the Democrats or against the Republicans? Isn’t the point of advocacy groups to change public opinion to get a change in public policy? Legally, this line is crossed when a candidate or party is promoted one way or another.

As a first step, the IRS investigation is a good thing. When advocacy groups act like 527s, they should be taxed as 527s. But if the IRS stops at the NAACP, then the investigation is probably politically motivated by the party in charge.

It is high time for the tax exempt status of churches to be equally reviewed. So long as church spokespersons are advocating religious doctrine, they are an advocacy group. But once they step beyond that to openly campaign for a candidate or party, then they have become a 527. Across the country, preachers and ministers are using the pulpit (and the media) to campaign for the GOP. This crosses the line.

Many churches have stepped outside their tax-exempt protection area and into the arena of politics. Which they are clearly allowed to do. But they can’t do that and still claim non-partisan protections.