Utah's Jason Chaffetz introduces bill to tax NFL

[Redfairen]

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

The National Football League — the highly profitable and most popular sports organization in the United States — has nonprofit status and therefore is not taxable.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, has a bill to change that and he timed its introduction to fall on the NFL’s Super Bowl week.

His bill, which piggy-backs on the proposal of Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., would eliminate the nonprofit status of all professional sports organizations, which also includes the National Hockey League and the Professional Golfers Association. Each team in the NFL and NHL pays federal taxes, but the leagues themselves do not.

"In reality, the NFL and the NHL are for-profit businesses, and they should be taxed as such," Chaffetz said. "They are not charities nor are they traditional trade organizations like local chambers of commerce."



Read more: http://sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile[phone]/nfl-tax-league-status.html.csp

[OrwellwasRight]

1. I have to agree.

But then again, I also am for taxing all organizations, including churches, ending the deferral on income made overseas, and ending the bogosity of "Carried Interest." No more shelters and gimmicks for the privileged while avg Americans keep paying face value tax rates.

[KamaAina]

2. A teabagger for higher taxes?

[alp227]

10. to be fair, maybe it's because the NFL is a "taker" in the strict sense of libertarian ideology

because of the costs of running a team from the taxpayer subsidized stadiums to the increased use of police/fire/medical during games, etc.

[K lib]

3. Make the NFL payback some money

for all the new stadium they forced the cities they are in be built. One of the rare instance i actual agree with something a Republican does.

[onehandle]

4. TAXES ARE TYRANNY! PRIMARY HIM!

...heh.

[1000words]

5. Good idea

Churches next.

[condoleeza]

7. Yes, churches next!!!!!

[olddad56]

9. especially churches that help fund political campaigns (of any nature).

[hrmjustin]

14. I disagree on churches and houses of worship but the property that don't use for church activity

should be taxed.

[PADemD]

16. There are small church congregations who are having trouble paying for increased heating costs.

They have part-time pastors, many of whom have retired. Not every church is rich.

[LanternWaste]

11. And to maintain ethical consistency, tax any and all private groups of like minded philosophies.

And to maintain ethical consistency, tax any and all private groups of people sharing like minded philosophies, interests or entertainments.

[hrmjustin]

15. Tax property not used for church business. Churches and houses of worship themselves I say no.

[condoleeza]

6. About time, glad this is finally now getting some attention n/t

[eepatt]

8. Pro Sports--The ultimate Welfare Queen

Sure the NFL does not pay taxes. And indeed individual franchises are able to convince cities and local governments to build huge, multimllion dollar stadiums. Yes that is indeed sucking at the taxpayers' nipple. But the outrageous ticket prices are very often not paid by individual citizens, but are purchased by a business, ostensibly for entertaining prospective customers, and therefore a tax deductible business expense. When my students would come to class on a fall Monday excited about seeing a Bear's game on Sunday, I asked 'How did you get tickets?" as most Bears games were sold out. The reply was usually on the order of 'Oh my dad's business has season tickets.'

[JEFF9K]

12. Republicans are like broken clocks ...

Republicans are like broken clocks ... except that Republicans are right only twice a year. They are right on THIS issue.

[KansDem]

13. I thought you were going to say, "Republicans are like broken clocks...

...because their faces show no life."