IRS says pastors can endorse politicians without losing tax-exempt status

The Internal Revenue Service will now allow church officials to make statements in support of political candidates. The agency filed a joint court filing with an organization suing them in order to strike a deal. 

National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is an Evangelical media group that filed suit against the IRS over the Johnson Amendment.

The Johnson Amendment

The NRB filed suit in August 2024 over the Johnson Amendment, which has been in place since 1954. It was named after then-senator and future President Lyndon B. Johnson.

That amendment to the U.S. tax code prohibits tax-exempt organizations, like churches, from endorsing or opposing any political candidate.