God may be listening, but the IRS isn’t — or at least, not if you’re preaching online.The federal tax agency won a victory Monday for its decision not to grant church status to a religious organization that primarily conducts its worship services via radio and internet, reports the National Law Journal.
Why would it matter? Becasue non-church non-profits are subject to greater regulatory scrutiny and oversight than are churches.
The Foundation of Human Understanding, “based upon Judeo-Christian beliefs and the doctrine and teachings of its founder,” Roy Masters, had appealed the IRS classification to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where a three-judge panel waded into the murky waters of church classification precedent. ...