Huh, so there I was, casually strolling past the IRS building in D.C. — you know, the one with those intimidating pillars. April 11, 2025, had me snapping a photo for no reason other than, well, it felt like something one should do. Jonathan Ernst from Reuters probably did a better job with his camera, let’s be honest. Anyway, get this: the IRS has just thrown a curveball. Apparently, churches can now go ahead and give their two cents on political candidates without sweating over losing that sweet, sweet tax-exempt status.
Now, why does this matter, you ask? Picture this — a 70-year-old rule, dusty and all, the Johnson Amendment. It used to be this shadowy figure in the room whenever churches thought about getting political. Now, poof! In one filing, it’s like the IRS just shrugged and said, “Nah, go ahead, speak your mind.”
President Trump, by the way, has been itching to see the end of this thing. Talk about persistence, right? Here’s the juicy bit straight from the IRS’s mouth — or their joint filing, whatever — they basically said that if churches chat politics during their usual service routines, it’s all kosher. It’s not like they’re jumping into the gritty political arena, apparently.
Oh, and there’s a lawsuit brewing, did I mention? The IRS, some churches from Texas — Sand Springs Church and First Baptist Church Waksom, to be exact — and the National Religious Broadcasters group are all tangled up in it. They’re hoping to square things away with this consent judgment. Didn’t see that one coming, but hey, the law works in mysterious ways.
Oh, fun fact: the filing caught the eye of The New York Times first, because, of course, it did. They’re always on top of things. So, here we are, waiting for a judge to give the thumbs up or down on this consenty business — not a real word, but you catch my drift. Meanwhile, I’m just here, refreshing my news feed, because “breaking news” keeps the adrenaline junkie in me coming back for more.
And that’s the IRS drama for the day. Stay tuned, I guess.
