Democrat Senator Uses Mysterious “Method” To Avoid Taxes
(RightWing.org) – Tax experts say a Democratic senator could be gaming the system to avoid income tax — and get around rules on lawmakers’ outside earnings. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) is being paid almost $90,000 a year on top of what he makes as a senator, but he claims it isn’t a salary. Meanwhile, he’s voted for higher taxes on ordinary Americans.
Raphael Warnock said he received $89,000 as a "parsonage allowance" from his church last year.
He's not required to pay income tax on this money, under a special IRS exemption for clergy.https://t.co/tmw041blpZ
— Alana Goodman (@alanagoodman) September 8, 2022
Senate ethics rules ban legislators from earning more than $29,895 a year from outside work, but last Senator Warnock got $89,000 from Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he’s a senior pastor. Warnock claims the money is a “parsonage allowance,” not a wage. The IRS gives religious leaders a tax break on their housing costs. Warnock’s campaign team refused to tell journalists if he paid tax on this money.
Warnock has also been accused of misusing campaign funds to defend himself against a federal lawsuit. The Federal Election Commission says money raised for a campaign can only be used to pay legal costs if the case is linked to the campaign, and Warnock’s case wasn’t.
Campaign finance attorney Dickinson Wright says Warnock seems to be abusing both the IRS rules on parsonage allowances and the Senate’s own rules. His 2021 payments from the church equate to $7,400 a month in living costs, which can include mortgage payments. Warnock owns a million-dollar home in Atlanta.
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