Non Duality teachings, Tax Exempt?

[mandyjw]

Is it possible to get tax exempt status for a property or organization that teaches nonduality, God awareness without any affiliation with an organized religion? Or would you have to claim to be Buddhist, maybe mystic Christian or one of the organized religions? 

My sister is an advanced yoga teacher, and she is running into problems with only being able to help people on a certain superficial level. It's like the yoga opens people up to emotions and then she isn't qualified or able to help them deal with those. I have found by doing this work that being able to talk out problems, talk out your past and interact with people is huge to being able to go to the next level. I want to eventually partner with her and do retreats when I feel qualified. But I hate the idea of being stuck to any limiting religious structure or copying from a model of existing spiritual centers or retreat centers. 

Just by accident, I found the perfect piece of property for a retreat center. It's a really strange piece of property because it has so much waterfront that the taxes are more than the loan payment for the property, partly because the owner is so desperate to sell it because the taxes are unfairly high. Someone manipulated the property lines ages ago so that this piece ended up with the burden of having unusable waterfront property that it has to pay taxes on. It still has great usable property on the lake and the energy of the place is amazing, it's like time just stops there. The other plus side of the way the lines are cut is that it's private with no possibility of having neighbors. 

I want to buy it but I know I can't handle the taxes every single year. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? Am I biting off more than I can chew? 

[ajasatya]

@mandyjw i recommend that you team up with a trustworthy lawyer and a trustworthy psychologist. this looks like a potential seed for a green/yellow company.

[Forestluv]

7 minutes ago, ajasatya said:

this looks like a potential seed for a green/yellow company.

Nice observation. . . . Sometimes I wonder what organized yellow-level organizations/companies will look like. I also get the sense that there is potential in this area. It’s exciting to think about, yet I also get a bit worried it would get corrupted by excessive capitalist forces. I think it would need some grounded Yellow leadership with Turquoise and Green mixed in to help relate and connect a broad range of human experiences, desires, needs, issues etc.

[mandyjw]

@ajasatya Good advice. 

We definitely need to blur and eventually get rid of the lines between organizations, corporations, hospitals, alternative medicine, religion and spirituality. So many of the problems in the world are because we have built such massive walls to separate these things, and to protect from liability, when really they should flow together freely. I'm an idealist though. I recognize that and it's hard to trust myself enough to take any action at all. 

[Truth Addict]

@mandyjw

There are various huge obstacles in your way, here are some:

• Lack of previous experiences in organising such big projects.
• Big projects require a company, or at least a group of people with a lot of influence, infrastructure, acquaintances, finances, power, marketing, etc... And most importantly, they must share the same goal(s).
• Effective project leaders always consider the possibility of failure, for which they probably have a backup plan.
• Have you studied the population in your area? Statistics? How are you going about attracting people? Are they even interested in the services you will offer?
• Criticism; you can't avoid being criticised whatever you do, and it can get really nasty. Are you sure you can handle it?
• The pay-off; with the amount of money you already have, is there a better way to utilise it? Are you driven by money or by desire? Or by both? Personally, I'd go for financial security first, and only then I'd consider helping others.

I brainstormed those just now, I'm sure you can brainstorm others, especially with other, more experienced people than me.

[Natasha]

7 minutes ago, Truth Addict said:

Criticism; you can't avoid being criticised whatever you do, and it can get really nasty. Are you sure you can handle it?

I would add - expect major criticism from conventional local religious branches. Back in the day when I was in a Christian church, they constantly drilled in people's brains that any deviation from the Word is heresy and is to be avoided at any cost. Cultivating support of the Green/Yellow community and like-minded people in your area would be very important.

[winterknight]

2 hours ago, mandyjw said:

Is it possible to get tax exempt status for a property or organization that teaches nonduality, God awareness without any affiliation with an organized religion? Or would you have to claim to be Buddhist, maybe mystic Christian or one of the organized religions? 

Yes. Absolutely you don't need an organized religion.

That said, don't take my advice -- find a good lawyer. You'll need one regardless.

Edited May 17, 2019 by winterknight

[Leo Gura]

Yes, you can claim to be a religious organization. But in this case, the money is not technically yours, it's the organization's. You can't use it for personal expenses. You must use it for organization business. If you pay yourself a salary you will get taxed on that.

It's like a non-profit organization.

I could claim Actualized.org as a religious organization. Because that's what it basically is. "Religous" here just means spiritual.

[mandyjw]

Thank you. I already have a business that I don't have any interest in ending right now so profit would not be a motivating factor for me. 

 

[Nahm]

@mandyjw Very exciting!

[abrakamowse]

That's great news @mandyjw  I think it's possible to get that tax exempt status. Nice...

Keep us updated!