Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has asked the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, a Christian financial accreditation group, to pick up where his office's review of televangelists and taxes left off.
On Thursday the ECFA established the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, appointing CPA Michael Batts as the chair of the group.
Their task is to take a look at the recommendations from the Grassley review, such as evaluating whether churches and houses of worship should file the yearly detailed financial reports that other nonprofits file, called the IRS Form 990. They will also examine whether housing allowance exclusions for clergy should be curbed, whether a ban against religious groups endorsing or actively support political activities should be repealed, and whether clarity is needed in the tax code when "love offerings" are given to clergy.
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