Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing communities and tax-exemption, 501c3

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Jun 15, 2015, at 10:04 PM, Ken Winter <ken [at] sunward.org> wrote:

Counter questions:

> 1. We wouldn't have to pay taxes.

All citizens should pay taxes in order to support the infrastructure, crime 
prevention, emergency services, etc. So not paying taxes should be reserved for 
those who contribute to the public welfare in the same way the fire department 
does. Taxing the fire department would be self-defeating.

> 2. Donors could get tax write-offs.

Why would anyone donate to a cohousing community? 

> 3. We could get grants.

For what? Grants go to programs for the public. Cohousing isn’t public.

> 4. Companies might offer price breaks for goods or services that would be
> useful to us.

Which comes back to why would anyone think a condominium, however wonderful, 
would deserve lower prices than other communities?

These are rhetorical questions that just point out that cohousers are doing 
wonderful things for themselves and their friends, not the general public. If a 
cohousing community is doing something for the general public, like offering 
free meeting space or gardening space, then that program could be incorporated 
as a non-profit (cost $65 in DC) and apply for 501c3 status. But it would have 
to be a truly public educational or charitable service.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org