The Tax Authority says that the priests who support political candidates from the pulpit should not risk the loss of tax exemption

This step effectively calls for the decline of religious organizations from the tax department base, which is rarely called Johnson’s amendment, which was placed in 1954 and was named after their name. Lindon Johnson.

In a joint court file aimed at ending an ongoing case against the Tax Authority, the Tax Collection Agency and the National Association of Religious Prosecution – Consortium of Evangelical Media – and other prosecutors of a federal court in Texas to prevent the government from implementing Johnson amended against the plaintiffs.

Johnson’s amendment is the 1954 amendment to the American Tax Law, which prohibits tax -exempt organizations, including churches, of support or opposition to political candidates.

The Christian media group and others filed a lawsuit against the Tax Authority last August, saying that the amendment violates the first amendment rights to freedom of expression and free religion, among other legal protection. On Monday, the Tax Authority and the Publicists wrote that Johnson amendment should be explained, “so that it does not reach contacts from the Wada Council to its group regarding religious services through the usual communication channels on issues of faith.”

The New York Times was the first to report the news file news.

The Tax Authority generally did not impose Johnson amending against the places of worship from the speech related to electoral policy.

President Donald Trump He said he wants to get rid of Johnson’s amendment It signed an executive order in 2017 to direct the cabinet to ignore the base.

“I will get rid of Johnson’s amendment and completely destroy it and allow our representatives to believe in speaking freely and without fear of revenge,” Trump said at the national breakfast in 2017, a high -level event that combines the leaders of faith, politicians and purchases.

Representatives of the Tax Authority and the National Association of Religious Offers did not respond to the request for comment.

Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers made legislation to remove Johnson’s amendment.