IRS
After decades of arguing that Scientology did not qualify for tax-exempt status, the US tax agency reversed itself in a secret settlement. What caused the complete reversal?
IRS in the News
Date |
Title |
Blurb |
Tags |
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March 20, 1988 |
Cult Fighters In Center Of Raging Storm |
The Cult Awareness Network, a low-profile and nonprofit organization that gathers information on "destructive" cults - those that allegedly employ mind control techniques, coercion and unethical or illegal practices - serves as a warehouse of information, with files containing profiles, membership lists, and even tax returns of more than 1,000 cults and suspected cults. |
IRS, Press |
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November 11, 1987 |
Court Rules Against Release Of IRS Files Favored By Nominee |
(brief mention of Scientology) |
IRS |
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November 11, 1987 |
IRS Can Withhold Information, Court Rules |
(brief mention of Scientology) |
IRS |
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November 11, 1987 |
US Supreme Court rejects Church of Scientology request to obtain IRS records |
Los Angeles Times: US Supreme Court rejects Church of Scientology request to obtain IRS records |
IRS |
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November 10, 1987 |
Court Tightens Secrecy On IRS Forms |
(brief mention of Scientology) |
IRS |
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November 10, 1987 |
Justices' Ruling Helps IRS Keep Certain Records Secret |
(brief mention of Scientology) |
IRS |
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November 10, 1987 |
Justices Rebuff Scientology Bid for IRS Data |
In a blow to the Church of Scientology, a unanimous Supreme Court today made it easier for the Internal Revenue Service to withhold material sought by individuals or organizations under the Freedom of Information Act, a law aimed at curtailing government secrecy. In a case brought by the Scientologists, the court ruled 6 to 0 (with two justices not participating) that the IRS legally may refuse to disclose certain records even if the tax agency could delete anything linking those records to individual taxpayers. |
IRS, lawsuits, Los Angeles, Press |
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April 20, 1982 |
Scientology Founder's Wife Loses Final High Court Plea, Faces Prison |
The Supreme Court let stand the convictions of two former leaders of the Church of Scientology, rejecting their final efforts to contest the legality of the FBI's search of the church's Los Angeles offices in 1977. The court's action apparently clears the way for Mary Sue Hubbard - the one-time "controller" for the church group and wife of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who was not charged in the case - to begin serving a five-year prison term on a conspiracy charge. |
crimes, IRS, lawsuits, Mary Sue Hubbard, Press |
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November 27, 1980 |
Scientology, IRS Square Off in Court |
In the latest of a long series of legal battles, the Church of Scientology and the Internal Revenue Service have squared off in court here over constitutional and church-state issues. The trial in United States Tax Court is in its third week and is expected to last a month longer. The central issue is the revenue service's contention that the church did not qualify for a tax-exempt status from 1970 to 1972 and owed $1.4 million in back income taxes for the period. |
IRS, Press |
IRS in the News
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Date |
Title |
Blurb |
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December 31, 1997 |
IRS, leaked. Church, leak. Scientologists, Internet, alt.religion.of, involved |
The IRS announces that it is to hold an internal inquiry into how the agreement was leaked. The Church of Scientology denounces the leak. Scientologists accuse unnamed participants in the Internet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology of being involved. |
IRS |
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December 30, 1997 |
IRS, Wall Street Journal, Web, front-page story. Newspapers, United States, story |
The secret IRS agreement is leaked to the Wall Street Journal, which promptly puts it on its Web site and leads with a front-page story. Newspapers across the United States report the story. |
IRS |
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March 21, 1996 |
Tax Analysts, March 15 |
Tax Analysts issues a press release announcing the March 15 decision that hundreds of "field service advice" memos used by IRS agents be released to Tax Analysts under a Freedom of Information Act request. |
IRS |
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September 24, 1984 |
loses, IRS, 1970-72. Tax Court, L. Ron Hubbard, question. IRS -, instance, tax-related material, IRS, US tax-payers' money |
Scientology loses its appeal over the IRS tax assessment for the years 1970-72. The Tax Court judge documents in detail how huge sums were moved out of Scientology accounts into those of L. Ron Hubbard during the period in question. The judgement also describes the obstructionist tactics used by Scientology to thwart the IRS - for instance, deliberately jumbling two million pages of tax-related material, so that IRS officials would have to sort it out at the cost of a great deal of time and US tax-payers' money. |
IRS, L. Ron Hubbard |
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August 20, 1984 |
Lt. Ray Emmons, Clearwater Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigator Al Ristuccia |
Lt. Ray Emmons of the Clearwater Police Department sends documents and information about Scientology to IRS Criminal Investigator Al Ristuccia. |
IRS |
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August 15, 1984 |
Lt. Ray Emmons, Clearwater Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigator Al Ristuccia. Emmons, inducements. IRS, Emmons' document |
Lt. Ray Emmons of the Clearwater Police Department meets with IRS Criminal Investigator Al Ristuccia. Emmons outlines Scientology practices as they relate to fraudulent inurement and fraudulent inducements. The IRS investigator receives copies of some of Emmons' documents. |
IRS |
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December 20, 1976 |
Richard Weigand, CSW (Completed Staff Work), Henning Heldt, Project Troy, possible. (Project Troy, IRS Chief Counsel.) Heldt, Pr |
Richard Weigand sends a CSW (Completed Staff Work) to Henning Heldt asking that Project Troy be approved as soon as possible. (Project Troy calls for the placement of a permanent bugging device in the office or the IRS Chief Counsel.) Heldt will approve Project Troy. |
IRS |
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November 18, 1975 |
Michael Meisner, Cindy Meisner |
Michael Meisner sends a memo to Cindy Meisner entitled "Re: DEA FOI Case -- D of J Data -- Figley". It summarized documents stolen from the office of IRS employee Paul Figley, who was working on Freedom of Information Act requests relating to Scientology. The stolen documents were attached to Meisner's memo. |
IRS, Michael Meisner |
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November 17, 1975 |
Michael Meisner, Cindy Meisner |
Michael Meisner sends a memo to Cindy Meisner entitled "Re: Justice Department, FOI Suits -- Figley". It summarized documents stolen from the office of IRS employee Paul Figley, who was working on Freedom of Information Act requests relating to Scientology. The stolen documents were attached to Meisner's memo. |
IRS, Michael Meisner |
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June 11, 1975 |
GO, IRS, Church, California. Accordingly, GO, IRS' |
The GO gets wind of a major financial audit to be made by the IRS of the Church of Scientology of California. Accordingly, the GO decides to obtain as much inside information as possible on the IRS' "line of attack". Michael Meisner devises "Project Beetle Cleanup" for obtaining "all DC IRS files on LRH, Scientology, etc., in the Intelligence section, OIO [Office or International Operations], and SSS [Special Services Staff]". The project proposes the placement of "FSMs" (Field Staff members, or agents) in the "required areas or good access developed", and further that "Pitts" (the code name for Nancy Douglass - a GO agent who had infiltrated the Drug Enforcement Agency) and "Silver" (Wolfe) attempt to obtain employment at the Internal Revenue Service Intelligence Division and Office of International Operations respectively. |
IRS, Michael Meisner |
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