Tom Rumble photo | Unsplash By Aaron Earls Pastors can rest a little easier in their homes today knowing they or their churches won’t have to pay any additional taxes on their residences—for now. After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit unanimously affirmed the constitutionality of the pastors’ housing allowance in March, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) decided against appealing the decision to the Supreme Court. On their website, Becket , a religious liberty law firm that had been defending the allowance in court, said if FFRF had won, churches and other religious organizations would face nearly $1 billion in new taxes. Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, celebrated the end of the current legal battle and the protection of the tax exemption that has been in place for over 60 years. “The tax code has long exempted housing allowances for ministers under the same principle that it exempts housing for soldiers, diplomats, peace corps workers, prison wardens, non-profit presidents, oil executives, school superintendents, teachers, nurses, fishermen, and many more,” said Goodrich. “The court rightly recognized that providing this kind of equal treatment to churches is perfectly constitutional, and churches should be […]
