Thanks to smart lawyers who have exploited an outdated law, the tax-exempt status of many groups may be perfectly legal.
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Differences in health status between the groups account for part of this disparity, but consumer decision-making is, we've found, also a major factor.
In a September 2010 letter to then-IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, Montana Senator Max Baucus encouraged the IRS to investigate the use of nonprofit status by conservative groups.
The common European practice of giving pressure groups a formal status, and often a legal right to be consulted, minimises conflict by ensuring that powerful groups put their case to governments before laws are introduced.
The new details suggest that agency workers were examining statements in applications for tax-exempt status to determine whether groups had political leanings.
But problems also arise when it is governments that are relatively strong, and so able to confer special status on some pressure groups and withhold it from others.
The cause of this problem is those members of the enterprise who are excited about whatever the New Hotness is are usually upsetting the status quo for the groups that have to support and manage whatever it is impacts.
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Groups with that status aren't required to disclose the identities of their donors.
Policies allow "status adjustments for specifically defined groups of candidates with unique medical circumstances not addressed by the overall policy, " the statement says.
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Scarborough has granted freeman status to 20 individuals and groups since 1974, including playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn, boxer Paul Ingle and the Yorkshire Regiment.
Congress wrote the 501(c) code to provide tax-exempt status to a broad range of groups.
It seeks unspecified monetary damages and asks that the 10 groups still seeking the status be granted it.
The IRS is facing multiple congressional probes and a Justice Department criminal investigation after revelations that it gave extra scrutiny to conservative groups applying for nonprofit status.
The IRS is facing congressional probes and a Justice Department criminal investigation into revelations that from early 2010 through early 2012 it gave extra scrutiny to conservative groups applying for nonprofit status.
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Following the ruling, the number of politically oriented groups seeking tax exempt status as social welfare organizations under section 501 (c) (4) of the federal tax code increased greatly at a time when the federal government, including the IRS, was dealing with austerity measures that reduced or stagnated personnel and resources.
After the ruling, the number of politically oriented groups seeking tax exempt status as social welfare organizations under section 501 (c) (4) of the federal tax code increased greatly at a time when the federal government including the IRS was dealing with austerity measures that reduced or stagnated personnel and resources.
At the same time, the IRS is sending questionnaires to some groups that self-declare their tax-exempt status, seeking more information on their political activity, and it is reviewing tax returns of some exempt groups to make sure they are complying with rules imposing a tax on some of their political activities, tax experts say.
The targeted groups had tax-exempt status that allowed them to participate in certain kinds of political messaging.
The cost to groups seeking tax-exempt status was not insignificant, and is troubling.
Republicans complained Wednesday that some conservative groups who sought tax exempt status still waited for an answer three years later.
These groups claim tax-exempt status under section 501 (c) (4) of the federal tax code, which is for social welfare groups.
But beneath all of it lies the tax agency's basic inability to say just how much political activity is permissible for groups with tax-exempt status.
But he also said he hoped the investigation wouldn't have a chilling effect on people raising legitimate questions about the ways in which groups seek tax-exempt status.
The Justice Department has begun investigating the scrutiny given to conservative groups that sought tax exempt status and three congressional committees have held hearings bombarding IRS officials with questions.
Groups granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code are allowed to engage in some political activity, but their primary focus is supposed to be promoting social welfare.
And that, according to acting Commissioner Steven Miller, who just resigned, the problem started because the Supreme Court's Citizens' United decision created a surge of requests by political groups for tax-exempt status.
The inspector general's report said that as of Dec. 17, it had reviewed 296 applications from groups seeking tax-exempt status that had been set aside for scrutiny by a team of specialists.
An IRS official admitted Friday that the agency made "mistakes" in the past few years with tax-exempt status applications, specifically those submitted by groups with the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their names.
In addition to the inquiries by the three congressional panels, the Justice Department also has launched an investigation of whether laws were broken by IRS workers who used a list of criteria including names such as "tea party" to determine levels of scrutiny for groups seeking tax-exempt status.
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