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Deductibility Of Mandatory Donations To Religious Organizations Under The Internal Revenue Code, Sandra Machan

Akron Tax Journal

Church of Scientology members discovered their "inner selves" through "auditing" I and studied Church doctrines and tenets during "training" sessions. To participate in the auditing and training sessions, members paid mandatory or fixed fees to the Church.

In a recent United States Supreme Court Case, the Court considered whether the mandatory donations made to the Church of Scientology constituted a charitable deduction. The Court determined that the members made the mandatory donations with the expectation of a commensurate return benefit (i.e., a quid pro quo). and disallowed the charitable contribution deductions.

Although the Court's decision to disallow the deductions affected …