Kanye West Registers Sunday Service As Tax-Exempt Non-Profit Amid Mounting Lawsuits [DETAILS]
Kanye West is making a bold move with his Sunday Service amid the $50 million lawsuits from former employees.
According to The Sun, the Grammy-winning rapper quietly made his church official by registering Sunday Service as a tax-exempt, non-profit organization.
Kanye started hosting invite-only services with his gospel choir in Jan. 2019 to coincide with the album release for "Jesus is King."
The 44-year-old performed at secret locations close to his Calabasas' home, later even taking the service to Coachella. However, Sunday Service was put on hiatus due to the pandemic.
In court documents obtained by The Sun, Kanye hired a lawyer Karl F. Mill who specializes in non-profits.
Now, Sunday Service has been granted a 501C3 tax-exempt status.
The filing was dated Mar. 23 and the document included other details of Sunday Service, including listing down his $2.2 million Calabasas home as the organization's HQ.
Since his divorce from Kim Kardashian, that home was reportedly turned into his very own bachelor pad.
His Calabasas home is extremely modest compared to his Wyoming ranch. Known as the "gated ranchette," it was purchased in 2018 and sits on 1.25 acres of land, filled with oak trees.
The document also stated that Sunday Service isn't allowed to "participate in, or intervene in [including the publication or distribution of statements], any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office."
Good thing Kanye West is done with his presidential campaign and will not be given a chance to run for office further.
Since churches are known to be public charities, most of them are usually exempt from any type of tax, including federal, state, local income, and property.
Kanye West Sunday Service and Yeezy Lawsuits
But Kanye's plan to make Sunday Service an official church comes at an unusual time, as his former employees are suing him.
Last summer, the "Power" hitmaker was hit with lawsuits over the production of his first opera, Nebuchadnezzar, which happened during the Hollywood Bowl in 2019.
The opera featured hundreds of performers, the Sunday Service choir, and a massive backstage crew of costume designers, hairstylists, and makeup artists.
According to the California employment law, his staff has been classified as independent contractors instead of regular employees.
Which meant that they need to be paid overtime wages, have meal and rest breaks.
Per their lawsuit, the staff didn't get any of these, nor were they paid. Over 500 people have filed their complaints against the rapper.
The other lawsuit mostly centers on backstage staff, which includes 300 people.
According to sources, the estimated payout of the rapper could be $30 million or more, should he choose to fight.
Sources revealed, "They've got hundreds of people on board already, but they're talking to many, many others, who want to be a part of it."
Kanye West's Yeezy has also been hit with a lawsuit. An e-commerce company is suing the artist for $20 million in damages for six months of unpaid work, where they helped "maximize revenues for his Yeezy merchandise."
But the dad-of-four previously claimed he spent $50 million on Sunday Services in 2019, but it could also cost him the same amount with his piling lawsuits.
He told Nick Cannon last year, "I spent every dime that I have for marketing from Yeezy on Sunday Service. Every dollar I had."
