Why does the “church of scienctology” still have tax exempt status in the usa?
There is no hard set definition of what a religion or "church" is in US law and each group that desires to gain tax exempt status under the religious clauses applies and then is either granted or denied that status. Once granted there is really no strong mechanism to remove the status as attempti…
The Short Answer
There is no hard set definition of what a religion or "church" is in US law and each group that desires to gain tax exempt status under the religious clauses applies and then is either granted or denied that status. Once granted there is really no strong mechanism to remove the status as attempting to do so would be hindering a recognized religion and would be a violation of the First Amendment (or at least could be argued to be a violation). Scientology obtained the status after years of petitioning for it, and finally effectively holding the IRS hostage by filing hundreds (if not thousands) of individual lawsuits that bogged down the system and force them to divert resources from other issues and took up court time from more legitimate cases.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Status, religion, granted
This explanation focuses on status, religion, granted and spans 131 words across 3 sentences. At 82% above the average Society explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “There is no hard set definition of what a religion or "church" is in US law and each group that desires to gain tax exem” It then elaboratesultimately building toward a complete picture across 3 connected points.
How This Compares in Society
Ranked #69 of 500 Society questions by answer depth (top 15%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why the "church of scienctology" still have tax exempt status in the usa?
There is no hard set definition of what a religion or "church" is in US law and each group that desires to gain tax exempt status under the religious clauses applies and then is either granted or denied that status. Once granted there is really no…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Society questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 131 words, ranked #69 of 500 Society questions by depth. The key concepts covered are status, religion, granted.
What approach does this answer take to explain the "church of scienctology" still have tax exempt status in?
The explanation uses direct explanation across 131 words. It is categorized under Society and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.