It's true that places of worship are immune to tax. However, with mega-churches making millionaires from donations, tithes, and offerings, society may constructively argue that placing taxes on them would have positive impacts on the community and the country's economy. As catchy as the idea looks, religious places aren't profit-making organizations; their goals are quite different from commercial bodies. Originally, tithes, offerings, and donations come with a purpose: to finance everything under the umbrella of such religions, such as outreach, free donations, programs, pastoral welfare, and the church building itself, and they do not rely on government to make provisions in this regard.
While tithes, offerings, and donations made in churches and mosques are not taxed because they are not proceeds from a business, it may be wise to tax other activities created by places of worship, like schools, plazas, or other institutions that aren't directly tied to the activities of the church or mosque. However, imposing taxes on them would have impacts, which I'll discuss shortly. I believe the implications of taxing churches outweigh the benefits that come with it, and the government understands this, which may be why religious bodies are exempted from tax completely.
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Here are the implications: If religious places are taxed, it would directly mean the churches or mosques would have a say in matters of politics and would be either directly or indirectly part of the government, both politically and economically. If the church or mosque suffers any loss, the government may take on some of its burden in ensuring its continuity, or the government may have a say in religious matters—making critical decisions that govern the place of worship. This impact alone places a burden on each other, knowing well that they function differently when it comes to the carnal and spiritual realms.
Again, imposing taxes on places of worship would commercialize a body meant to be a place of prayer and worship. The church or mosque would put pressure on tithing and offerings, urging members to pay more in an attempt to cover taxes and still have reasonable funds to run the church or mosque. People's perception of the church as a place of worship may begin to fade, faced with constant demands meant to cover taxes. Soon, these bodies would focus on money to ensure smooth operations. Small churches may shut down due to lack of funds when most of their money goes into taxes.
Lastly, churches and mosques may cease free donations and charity programs that most of their money supports. The money that often covers charity may be reallocated to taxes for the government, and the impact would be heavy on the widows and poor in churches who were often the beneficiaries of such charities. With a business mindset introduced into the church or mosque, most operations would be profit-minded, and the actual purpose of the church would be defeated: winning souls and giving hope to orphans and widows in their trouble.
If at any point places of worship start paying taxes, it would affect the worship experience and defeat the purpose of the church. The hope of the poor, widows, and orphans in the assembly would be weakened. All that would remain is a place of worship commercialized in disguise.
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