BadBadBad

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but here goes.

I want to find out about a dance school/"ministry" that's registered as a non-profit organization in Texas. This is a tap/ballet school/business for children masquerading as a church. Believe me, they have a fundy God program, but this looks every bit like a family for profit venture. They collect fees and tuitions just like any other private school. It's run principally by one woman and several other instructors. I can't believe that the money goes anywhere but principally in the pockets of the owners.

My question is, where does the money go, and is it possible to find out? Is it common for religious for profit ventures to masquerade as a non-profit organization? Does anyone have any advice?

Toto

The IRS has criteria for what constitutes valid accounting for a ministry. I have also seen a non-profit registry (I'd have to search for it later) which is sort of a Better Business Bureau of charitable institutions.

All things considered, however, using a church to teach ballet and tap dancing sounds like a fine use of church facilities to me. I don't see how this is different from any other storefront church where the collections mainly go to provide a decent and godly standard of living for the pastor.

BadBadBad

You're right. It's no different, except in a church, they at least take in money under the pretext of donations. So how does this non-profit dodge work? They don't have to pay personal income tax or they don't have to pay taxes as a business or both? I was hoping to find some impropriety either legally or morally for them filing as a non-profit. That's an argument I'd like to use with my wife to get my kids out of this place. That plus the fact I can argue now that it's a church not a business.

This is just a plain old business with an owner and employees. They offer a service for which they charge a fee, and they make a profit. They just like to talk about God with their customers. Because of that, they don't have to pay their fair share of taxes? What a Rip!

How about a warm welcome to the real world for brettc I guess.

Toto

If the church organization pays salaries to people, those salaries are taxed - except that the "minister" can deduct a "housing allowance." That's the only advantage of a religious ballet school over a non-profit shrine to the art of ballet.

Are the ballet lessons any good, and do you kids like them? That would be about the only criteria I would look for. This just doesn't sound any more dishonest to me than asking for contributions because either 1) God will return the money to you 8 fold or 2) God might decide not to torture you for all eternity. In fact it sounds a lot more honest and socially productive.

BadBadBad

No doubt about that.

Are the ballet classes any good and do the kids like them? It's a fundy place with fundy people, and that's the whole point. Five year old girls don't know the difference, but I do. My wife told me the selection criteria was ballet, but I can see now ballet wasn't the principal criteria. If ballet is the criteria, I've already gotten references for a different school. Since God is the criteria, and the girls like the class, I've got an uphill battle on my hands.

Regardless, I know it's a non-profit now, so I can argue that it's a church not a dance school, and given the agenda, it's an easy argument. Welcome to the real world, but what a rip that this business doesn't pay taxes and competes with others who do. This just because they have "Christian" in their name, play god music, have a god workbook, and spout off incessantly at the recitals. This should be declared a for profit business, and if they want to dance to God so be it. I guess if that was a fat chance in Hell, we wouldn't have this church/state discussion board.