Freemasonry. The Brothers don't pay taxes.

The Brotherhood of Freemasonry is a tax exempt corporation, under code
501(c)(3) of the IRS code. The same as exempt status as churches.

Tax Information:

Masonic Brotherhood Foundation, Inc.
Tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code
Established May 1973

www.nymasoniclibrary.org...

I found this, while reading about how the Mason just made a purchase of secret Knights Templar documents from the Vatican.

And all the donations, dues, and other purchases (rings, hats, aprons, buildings, property, etc) are tax exempt. That means, they contribute nothing to the public kitty.

A large Patrons Book in the Library's Manhattan branch will be filled with the names of Light the Lamp of Knowledge donors. Donors will receive acknowledgement letters, including the bookplate graphic and the author, title, and call number of their chosen book. Patrons donating more than $100.00 may select additional books in increments of $100.00 per book.

Donations will support:

* existing staff salaries
* purchase of new books and artifacts
* conservation/preservation of books, artifacts and manuscripts
* continued digital conversion of archival material
* expansion of the Library's on-line Virtual Museum
* maintaining access to the Library's on-line catalogue
* expansion of services and staff.

www.nymasoniclibrary.org...

Organizations with this classification are prohibited from conducting political campaign activities to influence elections to public office.

en.wikipedia.org...(c)#Obtaining_501.28c.29.283.29_status

So, the largest secret society in the US, doesn't pay a dime in taxes, on any of their property holding, or income from membership, or sales from regalia.

What a masonic crock of [snip]

Through their attorneys, the Bentonville and Pea Ridge lodges filed a lawsuit against County Assessor Shirley Sandlin and Tax Collector Greg Hoggatt, claiming the elected officials unlawfully are imposing ad valorem property taxes on lodge buildings.
...
The attorneys for the Masonic lodges claim Arkansas Code Annotated 26-3-301 protects their clients from having to pay taxes. The statute exempts all properties owned by charitable organizations so long as they are not leased or used to turn a profit.

www.freemasonrywatch.org...

Masonic Care, which has nearly $70 'million in construction projects under way on the Oneida County side of its property, says being located entirely in Utica would make it easier to get approvals for its aggressive expansion projects.
...
Luley and Masonic Care officials contend that there's no reason for Herkimer County and Town of Frankfort officials to oppose the annexation, because no revenue would be lost on account of Masonic Care's tax-exempt status, and because they'd save money by no longer having to provide services.

findarticles.com...


aftermathnews.wordpress.com...

I would suggest, any Mason running for office should exclude the whole fraternity from tax exempt status, and they should be
back charged back to 1973, since Gerald Ford was a Freemason.
www.calodges.org...

Gerald R. Ford, Jr. 38th President, 1974 - 1977. He was raised to the Sublime degree of Master Mason on May 18, 1951 in Columbia Lodge No. 3, F. &.A.M., of Washington, D.C., as a courtesy for Malta Lodge No. 465, F. & A.M. of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Added;

From the blog of the late Theron Dunn

IRS records show that just over 5% of the money the Shrine takes in yearly is actually spent on their hospitals and other charities.
...
The money raised through various Masonic efforts and donated to the Shrine could be better put to use by the various Grand Lodges for the benefit of Masonry in general, as the United Grand Lodge if England does. They have a single Grand Charity, into which funds have been invested for a LONG time

beaconofmasoniclight.blogspot.com...

Now, if IRS records show this, and they are doing NOTHING about it, isn't it safe to say the IRS and Freemasons are "brethren"?



Mod Edit: Censor circumnavigation. Please see ABOUT ATS: Vulgarity and The Automatic ATS Censors. Thank you - Jak

[edit on 19/5/08 by JAK]





[edit on 19-5-2008 by cutbothways]

That was completely asinine.

Freemasonry is a non-profit fraternal organization. Since non-profits by their very definition don't make any profits to pay taxes on, of course they're exempt.



[edit on 19-5-2008 by Masonic Light]

For a second I thought you meant the variouse individuals themselves didn't pay taxes.
Which I'd argue with seeing as i've seen them gripe about their tax returns on occasion.
But yeah, Masonry as a Non-profit organisation doesn't pay taxes. Neither does PETA or others.

Financial assistance is available for qualifying Ohio Masons and their wives or widows who are residents or are applying for residency at The Ohio Masonic Home campuses in Springfield, Waterville or Medina.

www.ohiomasonichome.org...

Yes, the masons take care of their own.

In the Bureaus which we represent, for example, there are records of many cases where the assistance given in individual instances has, ovcr a period of years, passed the ten thousand dollar mark. We have one such case where a small rural Lodge assisted an ailing Brother, then his widow, and now his incapacitated daughter, over a twenty year period.

www.masonicworld.com...

Again, the masons taking care of their own.
But what about all the hospitals? Paid by the taxpayer.

There are about three million Masons in North America and about two million worldwide. In North America, a Master Mason can branch out and join other "appendant" groups such as the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar or the Shriners. Once a Master Mason becomes a Shriner, he joins the Red-Fez wearing fraternity of 350,000 or so who meet in 191 North American temples. Though they are Master Masons, some seem to disconnect from and turn their back on Freemasonry to become "Shriners first," who then dedicate their lives to overseeing and supporting their $13 billion network of 22 hospitals that provides free medical care to burned or crippled children at tax payer expense.
...
Recent articles about the Royal Order of Jesters began on February 15, 2008, when I published "Jesters Exposed." It asked: "Have the Jesters hustled the feds by convincing them that raising millions for partying is a legitimate exempt purpose because the IRS has had no problem classifying them as both a nonprofit fraternity and charity?"

More than 57 percent of the $32 million the Shriners raised in 2005 through circuses, bingo games, raffles and a variety of sales went to costs of the fraternity, including keeping temple liquor cabinets full and offering expenses-paid trips to Shrine meetings and other events.

¶Only 2 percent of the Shrine hospitals’ operating income comes from money raised by Shrine temples and members’ dues. (The bulk is supplied by the hospitals’ $9 billion endowment.)

¶A top Shrine official told a meeting of temple treasurers that poor accounting for cash coming into the organization was “an increasingly common problem,” and that more than 30 temples had discovered fraud — like theft of money and inventory, altered bank statements, padded payrolls and fake invoices — amounting to as much as $300,000 and involving members of their “divans,” the five-member boards that govern each temple.

Yet whistle-blowers like Mr. Goline are often greeted with hostility, retaliation and official sanctions.

NY Times article

TAX FRAUD TAINT ON BIG CONCERNS.
Evidence in Masonic Temple Scandal Points to Gang With Wide Field of Operations
...
State's Attorney Deneen put out his lines yesterday in connection with the forged tax receipt scandal involving the Masonic Temple association and Capt. Edward Williams, its manager

Chicago Tribune

Masonic Home of New Jersey
Accounting handles the normal accounting functions for the Foundation and provides a full service bank for our residents. Some of these services include:

* Quarterly Statements
* Money Orders
* Stamps
* Cash Withdrawals
* Bill Payment
* Fund Investment
* Arrangement of Legal Services
* Income Tax Preparation
* Miscellaneous Banking Services

www.njmasonic.org...

All donations made to the Masons, are tax exempt.

Originally posted by cutbothways
Again, the masons taking care of their own.
But what about all the hospitals? Paid by the taxpayer.

So the brothers pay a Mason's hospital bill so that Mason isn't a burden on the taxpayers. Sounds like that's a good thing for both the hospital, who's getting paid; the ill brother, who couldn't afford to cover his own expenses in a time of need; and the taxpayers, who aren't affected like they would be if NOBODY was covering the cost of the patient.

ahahaha.....I was about to say, did I miss the memo, my tax bill for last year was horrendous...

But yes, ofcourse masonic agencies don't pay taxes, they're all non-profit organizations......

The reason we don't see more cases of Masonic fraud investigation?

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Walter Page, who was about to uncover the latest embezzlement case at his Masonic lodge, was discovered slain in his burned home on Thursday.

www.highbeam.com...

Mr Renard spent 30 hours in detention last week before being placed under formal investigation by the city's public prosecutor for allegedly passing sensitive information from France's national criminal database to members of his Masonic lodge.

The case is linked to "hidden networks" in police and judicial circles that have successfully "buried" inquiries into serious allegations against prominent local figures, says the prosecutor, Eric de Montgolfier.

www.telegraph.co.uk...

By the way, the upper level Masons receive a paycheck.

We invite anyone to
look into our practices and see if our joining fees are any greater than what you'd pay in any other lodge,
or if any of our officers are earning the large paychecks that Grand Officers in the large Masonic bodies do.

www.regulargrandlodgevirginia.com...


[edit on 19-5-2008 by cutbothways]

Originally posted by cutbothways


By the way, the upper level Masons receive a paycheck.

As Lodge Secretary, I receive an annual salary. So does the Treasurer.

So what?

And the "Regular Grand Lodge of Virginia", which isn't "regular" by any stretch of the imagination, is lying. In Grand Lodge, the Grand Secretary, who is a full-time employee, receives a salary. He usually has a small office staff, which are also salaried.

The Grand Treasurer is a part time employee, and receives a smaller salary. The Grand Master receives a small amount to help cover his travel expenses, although not any where close as to what he pays out of his own pocket.

Try again.

[edit on 19-5-2008 by Masonic Light]

It depends on how the organization is set up.
One anyway, has a separate temple corporation that rents to all the factions and also outside rentals for weddings and ect. Property and income taxes are paid in that case.
Otherwise, most lodges dont have much money from dues and such and most often all the upkeep and more is donated by members.
In the vast majority of lodges, the community service such as books for bikes and other things far out do what the small amount of property taxes would do anyway. Its just not an issue.

Don Dyar

At the time I was suspended, I was also considering accepting a nomination for Grand Secretary, a position held in my jurisdiction for the last 17 years by a Past Grand Master with only a high school education, who receives a compensation package of about $100,000 per year.

burningtaper.blogspot.com...

Do you pay income tax on your compensation from the lodge?

reply to post by cutbothways


Never heard of someone having a problem with a none-profit organization like the Masons being tax exempt lol..

Pretty crazt and petty really..

We squander our money on boos, hoes and casinos!

And HD is correct ( did I just say that?) outside events away from Masonic activities like weddings, graduations, rehersals, and various other events are considered income and must be taxed as they then operate as a business, not a not for profit entity.

That can sometimes be the biggest way a lodge generates income. Otherwise it is donations from Brothers, charitable events, or service work like working at a consession stand at a ball park or something.

Another really good and tax exempt way for the foundation to make money is Life Insurance policies with the Lodge as the beneficiary, to ensure enough money remains in the accounts for it to run for as long as there are members. Because believe it or not Spirit, Masonic accounts and budgets are maxed to the breaking points far to often.

Originally posted by cutbothways

At the time I was suspended, I was also considering accepting a nomination for Grand Secretary, a position held in my jurisdiction for the last 17 years by a Past Grand Master with only a high school education, who receives a compensation package of about $100,000 per year.

burningtaper.blogspot.com...

Do you pay income tax on your compensation from the lodge?

To begin with, I find the claim of a $100,000 salary for Grand Secretary pretty suspicious. Our Grand Secretary, who is a full time employee of the Grand Lodge and works 40 hours per week in GL office, receives an annual salary of $28,000.

I'm not a full-time employee, but everybody who receives a salary gets a W-2 at the end of the year, and pays income tax on it, as well as Social Security and Medicare. Grand Lodge also pays payroll taxes for employees.

reply to post by Rockpuck

And HD is correct ( did I just say that?) outside events away from Masonic activities like weddings, graduations, rehersals, and various other events are considered income and must be taxed as they then operate as a business, not a not for profit entity.

Sorry, didn't put the guy puking. Stated like a true brother.

Anyone who says ANYTHING against the lodge, is treated
accordingly.

Again:
Do you pay income tax on your compensation from the lodge?

A 501(c)3 organization, by definition, is a non-profit. The Masons are non-profit and furthermore, they contribute 1 to 2 million dollars per DAY to charitable organizations. I"ll wager that is more than any church in the U.S. donates.

In the end, the Masons, I"m sure, contribute far more to society than they take, IF indeed they do take at all.

So, what is your problem with a non-profit, charitable organization not paying taxes? Please explain why you think this is a bad and scandalous thing.

reply to post by endrun


Could you please provide a list of charities that do not benefit other Masons.

And since the Masons are highly involved in politics, I would suggest they violate the tax code.

At a time when the "useless eaters" are barely getting by, and the Government is giving back $600 to the taxpayer, who's money it was in the first place, I find your defense of the non-profit umbrella quite sickening, and elitists.

In Texas alone, at least four of the state’s 13 temples have lost money to theft, embezzlement and faulty accounting over the last five years, according to several Shriners there.

Who checks the Masonic accounts? Their appointed brethren?


[edit on 19-5-2008 by cutbothways]

I don't get compensated by my lodge lol.

If I did, I suppose I would get a W-2 like any other organization?

endrun

The RCC contributes more then Masonry, and I am sure there are other organizations that donate more. Red Cross comes to mind. But anyways, it's not a competition. The more people out there doing good the better!

Originally posted by cutbothways


Could you please provide a list of charities that do not benefit other Masons.

All of them, with the exception of the Masonic Home you mentioned. Shriners Childrens Hospitals and Burn Centers, Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorder Clinics, Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Royal Arch Research Assistance, etc., etc., provide service to everyone regardless of Masonic affiliation.

And since the Masons are highly involved in politics, I would suggest they violate the tax code.

Since Masonry has never been involved in politics, it of course does not violate the tax code.

At a time when the "useless eaters" are barely getting by, and the Government is giving back $600 to the taxpayer, who's money it was in the first place, I find your defense of the non-profit umbrella quite sickening, and elitists.

Too bad.

reply to post by cutbothways

Could you please provide a list of charities that do not benefit other Masons.

I am curious as to why this matters? We take care of our sick and ederly, as well as their wives and family. OMG. We is evil!



Real "christian" of you mate..

Your motives, and your attitude, are very hard to judge. You don't act like you think you are anyways..

But aside, just to refute your pettiness, my lodges biggest charity is Special Olympics. Eh, I don't know any Masons involved, as all are under the age of 19 lol.

Our next biggest is Masonic Home, for elderly Masons and their families who need assistance.

Real evil.......

Why, because charities are just a money laundering front for the Mason, who actually do very little good, and use the childrens hospital to recruit kids for the freaks in the secret society.

Employees and trustees of two charities for disabled children have been jailed for a total of 16 years for using their positions to steal more than £900,000.

Care and Aid Trust for Children with Handicaps, known as Catch, and Help for All were both shut down after investigations by the Charity Commission and HM Revenue & Customs into offences including theft of donations, Gift Aid fraud and tax evasion.
...
The Swansea-based charity was found to be insolvent and was wound up in court in 2002.

Source

THE SWANSEA MASONIC HALL COMPANY LTD (Single location)

www.alacrastore.com...

So far, one anti-mason against 7 masons, in the conspiracy forum.

Isn't the ATS "unbiased" approach telling?

reply to post by cutbothways

CBW, YOU are the one who started this thread, so don't complain because Masons are defending their organization - YOU have printed lies, libel, and slander against the Masons. (Aren't hate speech and lies against the ATS T&C's?)
And then you wonder why there are 7 Masons refuting your hate-filled, biased lies? It would seem that you have big issues with the Masons and I think that is clouding your judgment.