The New York-based Orthodox Union and a number of other Jewish non-profit community organizations are urging Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to delay implementation of a new tax code provision requiring payment of a federal tax on fringe benefits such as employee subsidies for parking and transportation expenses.
The OU sent a letter to Mnuchin outlining its position and explaining its request for the IRS to suspend implementation of the tax until the Congress votes on a measure now under consideration that would repeal it.
The “Lessening Impediments from Taxes for Charities Act,” introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) respectively, is now being considered for a vote before both houses.
“For some of these organizations, the cost of preparing and filing the tax return could exceed the actual tax; however, the overriding principle remains that this Act represents a violation of the critical separation of church and state,” the letter pointed out, in addition to the problem of costing many thousands of dollars year “that were never budgeted for.”