Ten Billion Dollar A Year Company Is Tax Exempt (The NFL)

[onehandle]

Recently, you may have heard that the Internal Revenue Service came under some considerable fire for targeting certain groups seeking tax-exempt status while green-lighting others (such as one run by the brother of President Obama), but did you know that the National Football league, an organization that currently rakes in about $10 billion per year in revenue, is also a non-profit organization in the eyes of the government? While you're trying to figure that one out, we've got another one for you. Did you know that the league has been a non-profit organization since 1966, when the NFL merged with the American Football League, and then-commissioner Pete Rozelle folded in the request for an exemption with the request for an anti-trust exemption?

Yes, it's all true. Technically, the NFL is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization. That part of the Internal Revenue Code "provides for the exemption of business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, boards of trade and professional football leagues, which are not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual."

It's an interesting wrinkle, because while the NFL's member teams essentially act as a group of individual entities with an overarching partnership governed by the league, the league itself has not always argued so when it was against its benefit. In the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission vs. National Football League et al dispute argued in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1983, the league argued that it was a single entity, thus exempting it from certain antitrust statutes. The Coliseum Commission (and the Raiders franchise on whose behalf the Commission was responding) said that the league was instead a group of legal entities that act independently. The Court agreed with the Commission and the Raiders, finding that Rozelle had acted in bad faith in Al Davis' attempted move out of Oakland.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/congress-may-review-nfl-tax-exempt-status-004521453.html

Our tax system is so wrong.

[Wilms]

1. It's that way with ALL religions.

Why should it be different with this one?

[LostOne4Ever]

12. This exactly! (nt)

[Fantastic Anarchist]

2. Wow. Had no clue. Thanks for posting. n/t

[AndyA]

3. I can't stand professional sports because there isn't anything "professional" about them today.

Bad sportsmanship sends the wrong message to kids. You have adulterers, wife beaters, animal abusers, drug addicts, and who knows what else playing professional sports. They are all paid WAY more than any of them could possibly be worth doing anything else.

What do today's kids learn from many of today's sports stars? They learn that education isn't important, because if they play __________________ (insert name of sport) good enough, they don't need to know anything else. So, focus on being the best player in your school, and you'll get a sports scholarship and then if you stay on top of your game, you get a multi-million dollar contract with a team, a mansion, five sports cars, and anything else you want.

It's part of the decay of America.

[hughee99]

5. It's got to be tough when you can't stand sports, current music, or movies. n/t

[AndyA]

6. Didn't mention current music or movies.

There are other things in life besides the things you mentioned, however.

[hughee99]

7. My apologies, I just figured if you had issues with

adulterers, wife beaters, animal abusers, drug addicts, and who knows what else all paid WAY more than any of them could possibly be worth doing anything else, then you'd probably feel the same about Hollywood and the music industry.

[AndyA]

10. Right

[Dreamer Tatum]

4. Here's the difference.

That's a specific tax exemption.

The company with the iconic logo that you are desperate to defend COULD repatriate its hoard, but it
DOESN'T WANT TO.

In other words, they're schemers. Yes, just like a lot of companies, but I don't see anyone so righteously defending
any other multi-billion dollar corporation on DU.

[hughee99]

8. Did you miss the Apple threads?

Not hard to find defenders there.

[WCGreen]

9. They don't have to pay proerty taxes, they have lavish stadiums

built at taxpayers expense and they also get tax free buildings and practice fields.

The biggest commies turn out to be the richest amongst us.

[kairos12]

11. Love your dad's wise words

thanks

[hughee99]

13. A few pay property taxes, but not many and not that much.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/24/3362959/are-the-miami-dolphins-the-only.html