Supreme Court unanimously sides with Catholic charity group in tax exemption bid

The Hill

a day ago

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a Catholic charity group is entitled to tax relief it was denied on the basis that its operations were not primarily religious, a decision that could expand eligibility for religious tax exemptions.
In a unanimous decision, the justices reversed the Wisconsin Supreme Court's determination that a chapter of Catholic Charities, a social services arm of Catholic diocese nationwide, does not qualify for a state unemployment tax because it doesn't sway those it serves to become Catholic.
'Much like a law exempting only those religious organizations that perform baptisms or worship on Sundays, an exemption that requires proselytization or exclusive service of co-religionists establishes a preference for certain religions based on the commands of their religious doctrine,' Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the majority opinion.
Catholic Charities Bureau is controlled by the Diocese of Superior, and insists its services reflect 'gospel values and the moral teaching of the church.' However, it serves and employs non-Catholics, completes work that could be administered by nonreligious groups and doesn't attempt to proselytize.
Wisconsin's top court denied its request for religious exemption from the state's unemployment tax system after determining its activities were 'primarily charitable and secular,' instead of religious.
The decision marks another victory for religious plaintiffs in disputes with states, a trend in recent years at the Supreme Court.
The tax exemption case is one of three religion cases the justices agreed to hear this term, in addition to weighing whether parents of children in public school can opt out of LGBTQ book instruction and whether an online Catholic school can become a charter school in a nationwide first.