HONOLULU (AP) — Mormon critics are asking the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to investigate allegations that the church uses a Hawaii cultural center to commit tax fraud.
Gay-rights activist and Mormon critic Fred Karger delivered a complaint to a Honolulu IRS office Thursday asking for an investigation into possible tax abuses involving the Polynesian Cultural Center, Brigham Young University-Hawaii and a Hawaii land management company.
The complaint comes after Mormon critics aired television ads last year seeking information that could harm the church’s tax-exempt status.
A church spokesman declined to comment. An IRS spokeswoman says the agency doesn’t comment on taxpayer cases and doesn’t confirm whether there’s an investigation.
Karger says it’s unlikely the tax-exempt status will be revoked, but he hopes the attention forces changes. He’s also seeking investigations from other government agencies.
The Utah-based church has 16 million members worldwide, including 74,000 in Hawaii.
I do believe the IDS are not paying taxes on profits they make on their dessert industries the prices they ask for the donated items are very close to brand new prices when I asked a supervisor why the high cost he said they had to make a profit I then asked if they pay taxes on that he just walked away