Satanic Temple is recognized as Church and is now exempt from taxes

The Satanic Temple or “The Satanic Temple” is now considered a church by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), and may apply for grants based on faith.

The Satanic Temple has received tax-exempt status, which places it on the same footing as major religions, such as Catholicism and organizations such as the Salvation Army.

The recognition means that the Satanic Temple, which has 16 chapters in the US and thousands of followers around the world, you can apply for certain federal grants.

Anyone who donates money to the group can also be discarded as a tax deduction.

The group’s founder, Lucien Greaves, said in a statement that categorization by the IRS should “set aside any suspicion that we do not meet the requirements of a true religious organization.”

Greaves said: The Satanism is here to stay “…

Greaves said in a statement a few months ago:

The followers of the Satanic Temple are a group that sees Satan as a symbol against tyrannical authority.

” They are known as nonconformist pranksters and believe they are redefining Satanism and using it as a tool in cultural wars.

According to what they say, their members often use satanic images, but they do not necessarily worship the devil and claim that their main focus is to enforce the division between church and state.

The Satanic Temple, which was founded in 2013, is featured in a movie called ” Hail Satan? », Which currently has a limited release in theaters.

To qualify for the IRS tax exemption, a religious group must prove that it is not operated for the benefit of private interests.

None of your profits can benefit private individuals and they are restricted on what lobbying they can do.

Tax-exempt organizations must also disclose more to the public than those who pay taxes.

The IRS declined to explain how exactly it ruled on the Satanic Temple and a spokesman said they were “prohibited from commenting on private taxpayer matters.”

The Satanic Temple emphasizes that it is different from the Church of Satan that was founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey.

Instead, the Satanic Temple says its objectives are “to reject tyrannical authority” and to protest against exemptions for religions.

Its Seven Principles, or fundamental principles, include the belief that “the spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice must always prevail over the written or spoken word.”