NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Court of Appeals is considering whether a bookstore and a cafe within a tax-exempted church should be subject to property taxes.
Advocates for a Nashville church argued in the state appeals court that a gym, a bookstore and a cafe on its property "fit the spiritual needs of a congregation," and shouldn't be taxed.
The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/TgLD4Y ) that the dispute involving Christ Church on Old Hickory Boulevard started in 2007 and made its way to the appeals court this month, where a court ruling is pending.
A lower court has ruled in favor of the Tennessee State Board of Equalization, the state's tax exemption authority, which is asking the church to pay $425,000 in taxes on the facilities on the 40-acre church property.
Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
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