The IRS in a new federal court filing says that churches can endorse political candidates without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status. The move upends a 70-year interpretation of the U.S. tax code, whose Johnson Amendment has barred non-profit groups, including churches, from endorsing political candidates without putting their tax-exempt status in jeopardy. A view of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 11, 2025. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The IRS said in a new federal court filing that churches can endorse political candidates without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status.
The move upends a 70-year interpretation of the U.S. tax code, whose Johnson Amendment has barred non-profit groups, including churches, from endorsing political candidates without putting their tax-exempt status in jeopardy.
“Communications from a house of worship to its