IRS says pastors can endorse political candidates without losing tax-exempt status, challenging the Johnson Amendment.

The IRS announced that pastors endorsing political candidates during services should not risk losing their tax-exempt status, effectively seeking an exemption for religious organizations from the Johnson Amendment. This 1954 rule prohibits tax-exempt groups, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. The IRS and the National Religious Broadcasters Association, among others, have asked a Texas court to stop enforcing the amendment against them, arguing it violates First Amendment rights. Republican lawmakers have also pushed to remove the amendment.