IRS Steps Up Efforts to Monitor Churches Involved in Politics

As the race for the White House heats up, the Internal Revenue Service is stepping up efforts to keep church groups from running aground of campaign laws.

The tax agency on Monday issued its updated tax guide for churches and religious groups, and nearly one third of the document focuses on the rules governing churches and politics.

The release reinforces the IRS’s recent efforts to crack down on the amount of political activity conducted by religious charities.

More than 350 charities were investigated by the tax agency for engaging in possible illegal political activities during the 2006 election cycle.

The intense contest between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain for the Presidency has raised concerns that religious groups and other charities will be even more aggressive in campaigning this fall.

One group, the Alliance Defense Fund, says the IRS’s effort violates the fundamental rights of religious groups and is encouraging church groups to openly preach about election candidates on September 28 as a protest.