ocean515
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Re: Email: IRS’s Lerner, Treasury Department secretly drafted new rules to restrict n
I'm familiar with the tax issues, I probably didn't word it well.
Long before Citizen United, "social" groups were infiltrated and transformed into beds of political activism. ACORN was a great example. Should they all be reclasified? I think I've answered that.
However, again, when Charitable Trusts become political, which they have, the more important fix comes to light. IMO one could reclasify all the groups, but leave the Trusts alone? That would be missing the objective completely.
The thing is that no one is escaping any tax liability with 501c4s or 527s. 501c4s and 527s are tax exempt, but donations to them are not tax deductible. That means that no one is getting a tax deduction by contributing to political groups and political groups don't pay taxes because political groups don't financially benefit anyone.
The only difference is that 527's have to disclose their donors, while 501c4's don't. And by statute, 501c4s are not allowed to engage in politics.
These groups, both conservative and liberal, were trying to skirt the law. What they did was in violation of the law, or illegal... or however you want to describe it. The IRS regulations need to be rewritten, and all of these groups need to file as 527's so they can be regulated by the FEC.
I'm familiar with the tax issues, I probably didn't word it well.
Long before Citizen United, "social" groups were infiltrated and transformed into beds of political activism. ACORN was a great example. Should they all be reclasified? I think I've answered that.
However, again, when Charitable Trusts become political, which they have, the more important fix comes to light. IMO one could reclasify all the groups, but leave the Trusts alone? That would be missing the objective completely.