Posts by OrphanCrow

15

Does Tithing at Church Count as a Charitable Donation?

by OrphanCrow in

it has been interesting to see the shift in financial strategies that the wts is implementing recently.

from reading recent threads, it appears like 'they' are adopting a tithing donation system, similar to what is practised in "those wicked churches of christendoom".

i am curious as to who it is that stands to benefit the most tax wise in this recent shift.

OrphanCrow

From the article linked to in OP:

Qualifying Organizations
You can deduct cash contributions or tithes as long as they're made to a qualifying organization. Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code specifies several categories of qualifying organizations. The IRS permits deductions for charitable contributions to religious organizations, including churches, a convention or association of churches, temples, mosques, synagogues and other religious organizations. Generally, a church or other religious organization must obtain 501(c)(3) status to qualify as a charitable organization. If you're not sure whether your church or religious organization qualifies, you can visit the IRS website to check an organization's tax-exempt status.
Claiming the Deduction
To claim tithes or church giving on your taxes, you must itemize your deductions using Schedule A and attach this to your 1040 tax form. You cannot deduct any tithes or non-cash donations if you choose the standard deduction. Depending on the amount of your tithes, taking the standard deduction may benefit you more than itemizing. If you plan to deduct more than $250 in tithes, you must obtain an official document from the church attesting to the amount of donations you've made throughout the year. If you tithe by check, you should also keep copies of your bank records in case you become the target of an IRS audit.
Deduction Limits
The IRS imposes a limit on the amount of tithes you can deduct each year. According to IRS Publication 526, the maximum amount of charitable contributions, including tithes, that you can deduct is an amount equal to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. If, for some reason, you've tithed more than 50 percent of your adjusted gross income to the church in any one year, the IRS allows you to carry over the deduction to future tax years. The IRS allows you to use carry-over deductions for up to five years following the initial charitable contribution.
Non-cash Donations
In addition to deducting tithes, you may be able to deduct the value of any goods or property you donate to the church. The deduction limits and filing rules are the same for non-cash contributions but additional paperwork is required if the value of your donations exceeds $500. In addition to Schedule A, you must complete Form 8283 and attach it to your tax return. You must provide a description of each item donated along with an estimate of its fair market value. If you donate an individual item worth $5,000 or more, you must have the item professionally appraised to verify its value.

6

The Thrill Is Gone and so is B.B. King- the REAL King

by flipper in

jw
friends

i know there's another thread about this specially talented musician's passing- but this guy was a torch carrier from the old bluesmen like muddy waters, howlin wolf, john lee hooker, and lightnin' hopkins who made chuck berry millions of $$$$$$ and collaborated with rock n rollers like bono of u2 .

these old bluesmen from the 1940's deserve all the credit for the babv that the blues ended up giving birth to- rock and roll music.

any comments are appreciated and welcome for b.b., music, or the blues in general pour your heart out.

OrphanCrow

Flipper, I can't resist another thread about the Blues legend, BB King. Long live the King through the legacy of music he left the world.

I am a huge Blues fan.

There is a couple old Blues legends that should be on that list of greats - Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2T8PjAFDB0

.

26

big accident at Warwick construction site

by oppostate in

the wt society is fond of using the tilt-up method of construction where a network of rebar is made on the ground, concrete poured on it and allowed to cure, then the whole thing is tilted up and voila' you've got yourself a massive big-ass wall ready made.

these walls for several stories-high buildings are indeed massive and weighty so you need a heavy-duty crane to raise into position.. i just heard from an eye-witness ldc volunteer that while there a few weeks ago they had an enormous accident.

the crane tilted and crashed, the only one hurt was its operator.

OrphanCrow

Oh no. I read the title with a sick stomach. Accidents like that bring up terrible memories for me.

Construction site accidents are terrible - my dad was a site supervisor for large jobs like hospitals and schools, etc. It was horrible whenever he lost a man on the site or someone was injured. Horrible.

I am glad to hear no lives were lost. I hope whoever is in charge of the site starts to pay attention to the proper jobsite procedures and quit being so damned lazy as to cut critical corners. Smarten up, Warwick.

15

Does Tithing at Church Count as a Charitable Donation?

by OrphanCrow in

it has been interesting to see the shift in financial strategies that the wts is implementing recently.

from reading recent threads, it appears like 'they' are adopting a tithing donation system, similar to what is practised in "those wicked churches of christendoom".

i am curious as to who it is that stands to benefit the most tax wise in this recent shift.

OrphanCrow

Thanks for the information, JeffT.

Interesting sidebar: those green handshakes to the CO are not deductible by the giver and ARE taxable income to the recipient. Of course, who's going to prove that?

Interesting. I had always thought that there was a 'gift' category that those handshakes fell under.

9

Lucille has been silenced

by _Morpheus in

r.i.p.

bb king.

.

OrphanCrow

My favorite BB King song and my theme song. Best advice ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNy0ikw475Y

15

Does Tithing at Church Count as a Charitable Donation?

by OrphanCrow in

it has been interesting to see the shift in financial strategies that the wts is implementing recently.

from reading recent threads, it appears like 'they' are adopting a tithing donation system, similar to what is practised in "those wicked churches of christendoom".

i am curious as to who it is that stands to benefit the most tax wise in this recent shift.

OrphanCrow

It has been interesting to see the shift in financial strategies that the WTS is implementing recently. From reading recent threads, it appears like 'They' are adopting a tithing donation system, similar to what is practised in "those wicked churches of Christendoom".

I am curious as to who it is that stands to benefit the most tax wise in this recent shift. Whether it is the WTs themselves, or if this new arrangement will benefit some of the well-heeled JWs who flutter around in the shadows of the wings of the Great Ones.

Personally, I abhor tax law, and get angry whenever I am forced to wade through it. However, it is a necessary evil at times.

From the article Does Tithing at Church Count as a Charitable Donation?:

Federal law allows you to enjoy a tax break in the form of a deduction for charitable contributions, including donations of goods or money. You can claim the deduction for one-time donations or if you regularly tithe part of your income to your church. The Internal Revenue Service has specific rules governing deductions for charitable donations and you need to understand how they work in order to maximize your potential tax benefit.

With the new arrangements in how money is to be 'donated' to the WTS, does that mean that the Kingdom Halls will have to be responsible for handing out tax receipts? Or, do they do that already?

Does anyone on this forum claim tax deductions for the money they send to the WTS? Or for donated goods and services?

44

August 2015 WT - Let's Review the BS Children

by InjusticeSystem in

found these gems in this edition:.

- keep in expectation!- prepare now for life in the new worldthe passing of time should not cause us to lose hope thatkingdom blessings will be realized.

there are solid reasonsto keep our scriptural expectations alive.

OrphanCrow

Of course, our circumstances may change with the passing of time. For instance, some members of the Bethel family in the United States have been reassigned to the field and are now enjoying abundant blessings in other forms of the full-time ministry. Because of advancing age or other factors, others who were in the traveling work have now received special pioneer assignments.

That is an intriguing thought that was expressed so obliquely. Is the WTS alluding that there are 'special' ones who got 'special' placements? Maybe somewhere warm and sunny?

Are there 'retired' ones who got to retire in tropical climates? Maybe working in translation offices, not doing ministry but instead "enjoying abundant blessings" inside first world buildings situated in third world countries?

18

How Soon Will We See 9-Year-Olds in Committee Meetings?

by TTATTelder in

that teddy bear baptism video was shocking.. if you haven't seen it yet.

check it out on this thread:.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/271170002/on-subject-child-baptism-video.

OrphanCrow

That's what bothers me the most. I thought about mentioning it in the OP. What happens when a baptized 8 year old gets molested? Now you have an arshole adult brother in the back room denying the charge and accusing the baptized child of slander.

Not only that, but the baptized child will be considered a 'penitent' and could be bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the 'clergy'. In some states, the penitent is not compelled to reveal what is said in a 'priest-penitent' communication.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priest%E2%80%93penitent_privilege

The statutes vary from state to state, however,...

In twenty-five states, the clergyman-communicant statutory privilege does not clearly indicate who holds the privilege. In seventeen states, the penitent's right to hold the privilege is clearly stated. In only six states, both a penitent and a member of the clergy are expressly allowed by the statute to hold the privilege.

The baptizing of children is going to muddy the waters in child abuse cases when it comes to the revealing of 'confidential' information'.

9

Lucille has been silenced

by _Morpheus in

r.i.p.

bb king.

.

OrphanCrow

RIP BB King.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fk2prKnYnI&list=PLC9FB2AC82FFC8DF7

19

Question Box: Should JW's use the Internet to witness to people abroad?

by cappytan in

i hadn't seen this posted here yet.. source via wifibandit on exjw subreddit.. what are your thoughts/comments on this?.

.

OrphanCrow

Oubilette: How could they be "charged" for anything individuals do on the internet?
Can you explain how that make work? How could that cause them any problems?

I have been giving your questions some thought.

Maybe what is happening is that the WTS is getting the squeeze from the IRS concerning their activities in countries that have laws against preaching. Who knows, maybe the IRS is the tool that keeps 'extremist' religions in line by limiting their activities in other countries. The Patriot Act and all that...I think that the WTS could be under pressure to limit their international activities. Especially the internet transmissions by their members - all online communication can be tracked so easily.

The WTS' doctrine and rules can always be traced to politics and law. Always. Politics and law is what makes money go around. And money is what makes the WTS go around.