What? Homeschool support groups cannot be religious?!

A homeschool support group leader read that her group cannot have a Statement of Faith or be religious. Is this correct?

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Carol,

Our homeschool support group has a statement of beliefs that every member must sign to be a member.

However, I was reading the 501c7 guidelines  for Social Clubs and learned that we cannot discriminate based on religion.

Does that mean in order to be tax exempt we cannot require a belief statement?
Blessings,
Lana in TX

Lana is referring to this IRS statement on Social Clubs. Most homeschool support groups fit the criteria to be tax exempt as a 501(c)(7) Social Club.

The club’s governing instrument may not contain a provision that provides for discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, or religion.

 

Like many laws, you need to keep reading to see if there are exceptions to the general rule.
And there are some exceptions. The IRS guidelines state:

The statute does not require a club to have a certain percentage, or even any, of its members from different, racial or religious groups. So long as there are no written restrictions, a club does not violate the discrimination provisions. https://www.irs.gov/irm/part7/irm_07-025-007.html

 

But Lana’s group does have a written policy, a Statement of Faith, that every member needs to sign.

Does that mean homeschool support groups cannot have a Statement of Faith?

Read on…

IRC § 501(i)(2) provides an exception for a club which in good faith limits its membership to the members of a particular religion in order to further the teachings or principles of that religion, and not to exclude individuals of a particular race or color.

(i) Prohibition of discrimination by certain social clubs

Notwithstanding subsection (a), an organization which is described in subsection (c)(7) shall not be exempt from taxation under subsection (a) for any taxable year if, at any time during such taxable year, the charter, bylaws, or other governing instrument, of such organization or any written policy statement of such organization contains a provision which provides for discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, or religion. The preceding sentence to the extent it relates to discrimination on the basis of religion shall not apply to—

(1)an auxiliary of a fraternal beneficiary society if such society—

(A)is described in subsection (c)(8) and exempt from tax under subsection (a), and
(B) limits its membership to the members of a particular religion, or
(2) a club which in good faith limits its membership to the members of a particular religion in order to further the teachings or principles of that religion, and not to exclude individuals of a particular race or color. ( my emphasis added)
Source: IRC 501(i)(2) and https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopicc82.pdf 

 

So, Lana’s homeschool support group can have a statement of faith and discriminate on the basis of religion provided their purpose is to further the teachings and principles of their religion (and they don’t discriminate on the basis of race or color).

Carol Topp, CPA

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One comment

  1. Thank you – this is exactly the information I was seeking! It is so good to find a blog supporting homeschooling groups in your unique but very important way 🙂

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