Bill would broaden church property tax exemption

[Joel thakkar]

Source: BDN Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine —The Legislature’s Taxation Committee took testimony Monday on a bill that would ensure cities and towns cannot charge property taxes on a church’s parsonage.

Current law allows towns to charge property taxes on the portion of a church property that is used as the residence for clergy, although the first $20,000 of that property’s value is exempt.

Sen. Anne Haskell, D-Portland, the bill’s sponsor and committee’s Senate chairwoman, said not all towns tax parsonages.

Haskell also noted the $20,000 exemption became law years ago and that most parsonage properties were worth much more than that now.


Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/04/02/politics/bill-would-broaden-church-property-tax-exemption/?ref=latest

[wordpix]

1. watch now, everyone in Maine will proclaim they own a parsonage

[RussBLib]

2. WRONG! Tax ALL of the church's property

Many churches are wilfully flouting the prohibition against churches advocating for and against political candidates, and the FEC just sits there, doing nothing!

[blkmusclmachine]

3. Tax 'em, tax 'em, tax 'em