The Anabaptist Jacques
Crusader
ianal but in scientology not everything is tax free. donations for auditing are, courses are, books not. Some things are broken into taxable and tax free and show up on your statement as such when you get them.
It is the fact that the "classes" taken in scientology are part of our religious practice that makes them not taxed. There is no value to them except the religious nature of them vs say a class that teaches a secular skill. Thats the theory, Sklar notwithstanding.Google "sklar scientology" for unending debate on this...
I think you have things confused here. Books are taxed by most state governments becasue they are retail sales. These are state and local sales taxes.
Auditing and training are not tax free because they claim to be a religion. They are tax free because they are a service and not a retail sale. Again, this is state and local taxes.
Auditing and training are deductible items on an individual's 1040 because they are considered a religious donation. It is not the same thing as being "tax free" from sales taxes.
The FICA rules have been covered AnonMary.
The reason churches are not taxed in America is becuase the First Amendment says "Congress shall make no laws respecting religion." Respecting here means "in regards to," not in the sense of showing deferrential regard.
The Anabaptist Jacques