Friday, July 25, 2008

Appeals court rules Westboro Baptist Church's truck isn't tax-exempt

By Lisa Coble-Krings

Church truck not tax exempt

The Kansas Court of Appeals today sided with the State Board of Tax Appeals' ruling that a truck used by the Westboro Baptist Church is not tax-exempt.

The state Court of Appeals has denied an appeal by Westboro Baptist Church regarding a pickup truck, which is used in their picketing activities. The court ruled today the truck is not tax-exempt for religious purposes.

The court wrote "although we accept WBC's contention that its picketing activities represent its sincerely held religious beliefs, we determine that its political activities and secular philosophy, which constitute a significant part of its picketing activities, preclude a tax exemption for its 2002 Ford F-150 truck."

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The church, known for picketing funerals of soldiers and others nationwide, appealed a decision by the State Board of Tax Appeals denying its application for exemption from ad valorem taxes for its truck, which is used for carrying signs made by the church.

This is not the first time the church has argued for tax exempt status of its vehicles. Westboro had argued a 1995 truck was used solely for religious purposes two times in the past. Both cases did not come out in favor of the church.

Learn more about the previous appeals and the current case on KSCourts.org.

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Comments

sky (anonymous) says...

Good I'm glad the court ruled that way. I just wish they would do more especially in regards to those pornigraphical signs that they carry of the two men...need I say more. They are also not very "religious" just cowardly in the fact that they are afraid of what is different from them. Oh well, those that use God's name for such slanderous purposes shall never enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

July 25, 2008 at 2:31 p.m. ( | suggest removal )