The Parking Lot Tax Is No More

January 9, 2020

Below is a message from our Faith and Giving Coalition in Washington DC regarding the end of the Parking Lot Tax. I want to thank all of you who joined in these efforts.

Happy New Year, Chad!

I hope during your holiday celebrations you found a moment to celebrate the repeal of the “church parking tax.” The repeal is retroactive, and I will keep you apprised of Treasury Department/IRS instructions for filing refunds for any and all taxes paid.

Through the hard work of a strong and diverse coalition, Democratic and Republican leaders eventually pulled together to green-light the repeal and add it to must-pass legislation. A few days before Christmas and Hanukkah, the president signed the repeal as part of Congress’s year-end appropriations bill (H.R. 1865).

This repeal was a long time coming. The confusing new tax consumed scarce resources that should instead have been used to further faith-based organizations’ missions and help those in need. And it set a dangerous precedent by requiring churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship to file income tax returns.

Fortunately, Faith & Giving Coalition members and many nonprofit allies began working on the repeal as soon as the tax took effect in early 2018. Thank you for everything you did in 2018 and 2019 to reach out to Congress and your own members to build support for the repeal.

Now we can redouble our efforts on key priorities for protecting and expanding giving, including enacting a universal charitable deduction. With that in mind, the next couple weeks would be a perfect time for your organization to thank Democratic and Republican members of the House Ways & Means and Senate Finance Committees, as well as both parties’ leaders in the House and Senate.

I look forward to working with you in 2020!

Yours,
Brian

Categories: Policy