The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is under a microscope today after the Washington Post reveals a complaint to the Internal Revenue Service. In it, a whistleblower claims the church hasn’t properly appropriated donated funds. The newspaper writes:
The confidential document, received by the IRS on Nov. 21, accuses church leaders of misleading members — and possibly breaching federal tax rules — by stockpiling their surplus donations instead of using them for charitable works. It also accuses church leaders of using the tax-exempt donations to prop up a pair of businesses.
The complaint was reportedly filed by David A. Nielsen, a former manager for the church’s investment division (Ensign Peak Advisors).
In a declaration signed under penalty of perjury, Nielsen urges the IRS to strip the nonprofit of its tax-exempt status and alleges that Ensign could owe billions in taxes. He is seeking a reward from the IRS, which offers whistleblowers a cut of unpaid taxes that it recovers.
The Salt Lake City Tribune says when they reached out to the Mormon church for a statement they were directed to “a Q&A on church finances and an ecclesiastical article titled “The Spiritual Foundations of Church Financial Self-Reliance” that makes reference to a practice of reserving a portion of the church’s annual income for future needs.”
