Independent Scientology Milestone Two defends 501(c)(3) tax exempt status for Church of Scientology

Independent Scientology Milestone Two defends 501(c)(3) tax exempt status for the corporate Church of Scientology.

Milestone Two: Gov subsidy?

https://milestonetwo.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/gov-subsidy/

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Posted by Lana M.
April 30, 2015

by Robin Adair

Ever since Gibney came out with his so called “documentary” based on Lawrence Wright’s book about Scientology, he has been on a campaign to get the Church of Scientology’s Tax Exemption revoked. He feels it is an unfair “subsidy”. In fact there are many who feel the same way – that Scientology is being unfairly “subsidized” by having a tax exemption.

Wait a minute.

Notice how the revoke the 501ciii crowd conflate tax break with a Government subsidy?

That is the idea that anyone who is not paying taxes is the same as being subsidized by the Government.

Personally I think Henry D Thoreau along with Jefferson and a few others are probably spinning in their graves right now because this concept would be as far as they are concerned totally un-American. Along with the Sixteenth Amendment, but let’s not digress.

Needless to say, with the Tax Reforms of the late nineties the IRS has gotten more friendlier. So I will avoid getting on their case.

Besides my beef isn’t with them but with people who have this perverted idea that someone or an organisation that avoids (as opposed to evades – even though that would apply as well) is somehow being “subsidized” by the Government or getting a Government “subsidy”.

First of all in order to be a subsidy the money would have to be given or granted by the Government by definition.

So either those who think the Government is subsidizing a Tax Exempt organization have a misunderstood word or they are attempting to redefine it — or more accurately perverting the concept with the collectivist and very socialist idea that the Government owns everything, and those who get to keep any of it in their opinion unfairly is somehow being “subsidized”.

Also it ignores probably intentionally those organizations (like say the Military Industrial Complex) that are indeed being subsidized by the Government to the tune of trillions of dollars in cushy Government contracts to continue these insane wars.

Think about, that the next time Gibney writes another Op Ep for the LA Times about the Church of Scientology receiving a “subsidy” by being Tax Exempt.

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WTF? He never mentioned a "Government subsidy". He's referring to the tax-breaks as meaning Scientology is effectively being “subsidized” by the taxpayers.

Such Ignoranuses.

Is Milestone considered a charity? Are Indies taking books and auditing, course etc… off their taxes like COS members do?
What social betterment do they offer?

They're subsidized every time they avoid paying taxes due to 501c3 status by not having to contribute tax revenue for the payment of government services and infrastructure. They get to use local, state, and federal government services without having to pay a fair share for them. They get to use infrastructure without having to pay a fair share for it.

THAT is how they are subsidized by having this tax status.

First, Milestone Two is based in Australia, so it itself is not subject to US tax laws.

Second, under Australian law Milestone Two is a "a registered, not-for-profit, charitable company limited by guarantee." I don't know the legal consequences of that status in Australia.

Third, I'd urge you not to conflate or ignore the differences between Milestone Two and "indies" generally, or think that all "indies" are the same, or have the same legal status. Milestone Two is a particular organization, with its own legal status in a particular country (i.,e., Australia), and its own ideology (i.e,, extremely KSW and conservative).

I know there are different groups with different ideals. duh
The Milestoners are your more extreme indies who are still practicing disconnection, the Zoners believe in up to like OT36 or whatever, and then there are other groups.
But they all believe in more or less the same stupid crap.
Harmful crap.
And there is nothing charitable about any of these groups.
PERIOD.
None of them should have any tax exemption or partial tax exemption status at all.

Charitable to themselves, charity begins at home and stays there. Spreading LRH lies and promoting his abusive scam is the most uncharitable thing any organization can be involved in.

Milestone II is engaged in fraud just like their child-abusing hero, Ron.

Google: L. Ron Hubbard / Child Abuse on the Apollo / 4 year old Derek Greene
Google: L. Ron Hubbard / Abusive Scientology policies

I would love it if some of them tried.

The IRS would be caught in a fork:

• Go after the few people who would actually have standing to challenge the special agreement with CoS.
• Don't go after them, and have it blow up in their face when other groups find out.