12. The church was once stripped of its tax-exempt status
Nonprofit religious organizations are usually granted tax-exempt status in the United States. The Church of Scientology initially enjoyed this privilege despite “housing” a for-profit corporation (the Hubbard Association of Scientologists).
In 1967, the IRS stripped all US-based Scientology entities of their tax exemption, declaring that Scientology’s activities were commercial and operated for the financial benefit of Hubbard. The church sued and lost repeatedly for 26 years trying to regain its tax-exempt status, and eventually won their case in 1993.
When Barack Obama became president, an informal internet poll revealed that the American public listed “investigating Scientology’s tax-exempt status” as number 9 on their wishlist of items for the incoming leader to tackle.
source: The Wrap
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