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IRS and Political Speech: The Tax Collection Agency Should Not Police Speech
January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

Groups seeking tax-exempt status as a nonprofit organization must apply to the IRS to obtain this classification. Advocacy nonprofits, designated by a 501(c)(4) status, are one such classification of tax-exempt organizations that are permitted to engage in some political activities, so long as the majority of their activities are not political. As the Tea Party movement gained its footing in…

The Buckeye Institute v. Internal Revenue Service
December 5, 2022   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  , ,

The Buckeye Institute filed a lawsuit challenging a decades-old tax law that forces the IRS to demand that nonprofit charities hand over the private ...

Congress Must Prevent the Tax Code from Being Weaponized as a Speech Code
November 18, 2022   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  ,

Elected officials are turning to tax laws in an effort to punish or restrict speech. At the same time, provisions omitted from the latest ...

California Gunowner Data Leak Makes the Case (Again) for Donor Privacy
July 7, 2022   •  By Tiffany Donnelly   •  , , , ,

In Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the district court made factual findings that leaks were commonplace and the State’s security protocols for maintaining the confidentiality ...

Questions for the Record – Hearing on “Laws and Enforcement Governing the Political Activities of Tax Exempt Entities.”
July 5, 2022   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

The Biden Administration recently announced that it is setting up a “Disinformation Governance Board” within the Department of Homeland Security. As an expert on free ...

Testimony of Mr. Gary M. Lawkowski Before the House Committee on House Administration, Subcommittee on Elections
June 22, 2022   •  By Gary Lawkowski   •  , ,

Disinformation is a bit like driving.  We all think we are good at identifying what is true and what is not, and that the ...

Testimony of Bradley A. Smith Before the Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
May 4, 2022   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

PDF of testimony available here Statement of Bradley A. Smith Before the Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight United States Senate ...

ProPublica Leak Illustrates Importance of IRS Privacy Reform
July 29, 2021   •  By Tiffany Donnelly   •  , , ,

As Americans, we all have the right to privately support causes we believe in. The last thing we need is for the IRS to ...

Braun-McConnell bill would protect Americans from IRS surveillance
May 31, 2021   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , ,

In response, Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) introduced legislation to protect the IRS reform and keep the agency out of political mischief. The “Don’t Weaponize ...

CIC Services, LLC v. IRS
July 22, 2020   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  ,

The Institute for Free Speech urges the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that could effectively close the courthouse doors to lawsuits ...

A Victory for Free Speech at the IRS
June 16, 2020   •  By Ryan Morrison   •  , , ,

The IRS recently amended its nonprofit donor reporting rules to protect the identities of contributors. From now on, nonprofits (except for 501(c)(3) charities and ...

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