Here are 7 surprising changes in the GOP Tax Reform bill you need to know about. While any of the provisions below could be modified or changed in the final bill, look at what’s proposed:
- Pastors will no longer be prevented from speaking about political candidates.
You may have heard of the Johnson Amendment. It was proposed by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1954. It was agreed to without any discussion or debate and was included in the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. It prohibits churches from contributing to political campaigns, and pastors from publicly endorsing or speaking against political candidates.
The GOP tax reform bill would make it legal for pastors and other religious leaders to endorse candidates from the pulpit, but wouldn’t go so far as to allow other political activities such as financial contributions from churches to campaigns.
Spiritual leaders have a God-given responsibility to declare the whole counsel of God, which includes explaining how Biblical principles apply to every area of both individual life as well as community life.
This provision of the tax reform package will not only be advantageous to pastors…it will be a blessing to their congregations as well.
- Child Tax Credit will be doubled – great for families with kids.
Contrary to what you may have heard, this bill is historic and will help you and your family. Why? Because it cuts taxes at ALL income levels – rich, poor, and middle class. Liberals don’t want you to know that the bill will result in:
- a 13.6% reduction for those making between $20,000 and $30,000 a year
- a 7.9% reduction for those making $50,000 to $75,000 a year
- a 6.1% reduction for those making $100,000 to $200,000
- a 4.3 % reduction for incomes of $500,000 to $1 million
- a 6.7% reduction for those making more than $1 million
What this means:
- a typical family of four will pay $1,182 less in federal taxes
- a couple making $115,000 will owe $1,130 less to the IRS
According to the Tax Foundation, after-tax income for a typical middle-class family will increase by $2,598 under this plan…
But it’s not perfect…
- It’s not all that candidate Trump ran on
- It’s not what President Trump completely promised
- It’s not what could fully supercharge the economy
- Adoption Tax Credit will help promote adoptions.
Both the House and Senate have moved to restore the credit for adoptive parents of up to $13,570 of qualified expenses.
Adoption, especially a private one, can be very expensive. Preserving the tax credit can be a major factor in helping families afford adopting.
- Immoral Death Tax – Gone!
Many Christians believe this tax is anti-Biblical and immoral.
Known as the estate tax, this is a tax levied on an heir’s inherited portion of the assets of an estate that exceeds $5.49 million after the death of both spouses.
For those who inherit businesses, high estate taxes often destroy their ability to keep their business going after the death of the owners.
- Stops forcing businesses to pay for birth control/abortion.
Under the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare – employers are forced to include birth control coverage, including abortion, in their health insurance plans… even if they have moral or religious objections to subsidizing the prevention of pregnancy or ending the life of an unborn child.
Some companies such as Hobby Lobby went to court, investing much time and expense to win judgments granting them an exemption from the law’s requirements.
But most small business owners do not have the time or the money to fight the federal government in court.
The GOP tax reform plan eliminates the contraceptive/abortion health insurance mandates.
This doesn’t deny access of these services to any employee who wants them. It merely frees businesses from being forced to subsidize them through their health insurance plans.
- Ends or reduces the marriage penalty.
The “marriage penalty” refers to
- the difference in the tax brackets between the income of a single taxpayer and the combined income of a married couple
- the phase-out thresholds of certain tax credits and deductions for single taxpayers and married couples filing jointly
The current House and Senate tax reform bills don’t eliminate the marriage penalty entirely, but they reduce it greatly by setting the income thresholds for most marginal tax rates to be twice the amount for married couples as they are for single taxpayers.
- Protects tax deductions for charitable contributions.
While some previous deductible expenses are being eliminated in to offset doubling the personal exemption amount and reducing the marginal tax rates, the deduction for charitable contributions will be preserved…
Plus, almost every reader can file their own federal tax return on a post card!
What do you think? Write me at craig@electionforum.com
5 Comments on “7 Shocking Surprises Hidden in GOP Tax Reform Most Christians Don’t Know”
Great job!
Lets pray that these exceptions stay in the final bill and that it passes.
It’s disappointing that the tax reform bill as it currently stands eliminates the deduction for medical expenses that exceed 7.5% or 10% of adjusted gross income (depending on age). This is especially troubling for seniors, who often no longer have mortgage interest to deduct, but have high annual medical expenses. It remains to be seen, but perhaps the doubling of the personal exemption and the increase in the standard deduction will result in seniors not being penalized since their itemized deductions, including medical expenses, will be less (hopefully) than the standard deduction for their age bracket. I can only hope this will be true in my case…
Trump getting stuff done….unlike our previous administration.
Wonderful news to so many! One provision that was taken away is in-home care being a medical expense that was previously tax deductible, My senior friend is distraught about this, as she is requiring now almost full-time care, which is very expensive, and she very much needs that tax deduction to be added back!