Sound Off
I’ve always wondered, is church real estate property on the tax rolls in Douglas County? If not, why not?
Churches are exempt from property tax throughout the United States. The exemption is thought of as protecting freedom of religion under the First Amendment because it prevents government from placing a burden on churches it does not favor.
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Comments
Xwards 1 year, 6 months ago
It's "tax rolls" not "tax rules."
Anyway, property that is actually and regularly used exclusively for religious purposes is exempt from property tax. Parsonages are also exempt if owned by a church society and used for the pastor's dwelling.
However, if church-owned property is used for rental purposes, or agricultural purposes, or any other non-religious purpose, it is subject to property tax.
Another theory for the exemption is that churches do the job that the government would otherwise be doing by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, etc.
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