LawFuel – Does the IRS violate the Constitution by treating one religion – namely Scientology – more favorably than another, such as Judasim?
That was the issue a federal appeals court in New York is considering, on an appeal from a Jewish couple who say the IRS permit tax deductions for the Church of Scientology, but not other religions. A favorable ruling from the Court could create a tax break for taxpayers of many religions who pay tuition to religious schools.
Three judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals expressed their reservations on the way in which the IRS treated Scientologists.
The NY Sun reports that the case stems from an agreement the IRS reached with the Church of Scientology in 1993 to end more than a decade of lawsuits, audits, and other enforcement actions involving the tax agency, Scientology entities, and church leaders. The church paid $12.5 million, while the IRS agreed to drop arguments that Scientology, which was founded by L. Ron Hubbard, was not a bona fide religion.
