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

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

I so agree w Sharon. Well said. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 16, 2015, at 9:13 AM, Sharon Villines <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> 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
> ----
> Sharon Villines
> Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> http://www.takomavillage.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
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