Holy Land Tax Exempt

[Chuck S]

Interesting Article: Holy Land Tax Exempt Should a theme park that charges admission (not a donation) but actual ticketed admission and parking be tax exempt because they have a Christian religious theme?

If so, could Disney be tax exempt if they made some sort of religious display a permanent part of the park, like perhaps a display about Islam in the world showcase country of Morocco, add to that the Candlelight Processional, Christmas stories from around the world and Nights of Joy? Maybe put a religious book store in DtD.

To me, Holy Land Experience seems like a for-profit venture and should be taxed as such.

 

[bicker]

The only way to address this kind of abuse is to do away with the tax-exemption for religious institutions. The reasons for the exemption have always been self-serving, and not specifically in the public interest.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

To me the key words are "admission" and "donation."

An admission fee is required for entry. A donation is freely given.

If Holy Land Experience let anyone enter the park and only accepted donations that the attendees gave of their own free will -- whether it be $1 or $100 -- then I could see it being tax exempt.

Charging a fee to enter, though, makes it a for-profit IMO and should be taxable.

 

[dadto1]

To me the key words are "admission" and "donation."

An admission fee is required for entry. A donation is freely given.

If Holy Land Experience let anyone enter the park and only accepted donations that the attendees gave of their own free will -- whether it be $1 or $100 -- then I could see it being tax exempt.

Charging a fee to enter, though, makes it a for-profit IMO and should be taxable.

Conservative christian here and I agree with you completely. If it was donation only tax-exempt makes sense. Charge admission no way!

 

[CapeCodTenor]

To me the key words are "admission" and "donation."

An admission fee is required for entry. A donation is freely given.

If Holy Land Experience let anyone enter the park and only accepted donations that the attendees gave of their own free will -- whether it be $1 or $100 -- then I could see it being tax exempt.

Charging a fee to enter, though, makes it a for-profit IMO and should be taxable.

I'd have to agree. For me the tax-exempt isn't a problem for properties that have churhes on them. It's things like this that shouldn't be allowed to have the exempt status on it.

 

[rparmfamily]

But museums charge admission and most are tax-exempt.

Anyway, I do think they should have to pay taxes because they are for profit, right? Does all the money go back into the church? Plus, they don't act like any church I know, charging admission, parking fees, etc. A theme park is not a church!

 

[LukenDC]

I support the tax exempt status of religious institutions. But Holy Land has never seemed like a nonprofit entity to me. I suppose it depends on what they are doing with the money they receive and whether or not they operate like other nonprofits.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

But museums charge admission and most are tax-exempt.

Anyway, I do think they should have to pay taxes because they are for profit, right? Does all the money go back into the church? Plus, they don't act like any church I know, charging admission, parking fees, etc. A theme park is not a church!

Are we sure of that? Seems like a lot of us make regular pilgrimages to WDW.

Museums are a bit different to me, as they house cultural, historical, and scientific artifacts that have a general interest to the whole community, serve an educational purpose first, and definitely deserve to be tax exempt. Theme parks, OTOH, are primarily entertainment venues with some having a small educational purpose.

 

[cardaway]

The only way to address this kind of abuse is to do away with the tax-exemption for religious institutions. The reasons for the exemption have always been self-serving, and not specifically in the public interest.

ITA!

Other parks could be non-profit as well. Just spend every dollar in upgrading the facility, buy more land, and buy the people that run the place lots of material things (cars, boats). It's what the mega churches do.

 

[Maleficent13]

btw and totally off-topic, most major museums I've been to the entrance fee was "suggested", not required. It even stated in some of the museum brochures that the "suggested donation was $7.00 (or whatever)".

I remember this because as a struggling college student I had an indepth conversation about whether or not it was "right" to go to the city's museum and NOT make the "suggested donation".