§ 105-278.5.  Real and personal property of religious educational assemblies used for religious and educational purposes.

(a) Buildings, the land they actually occupy, and additional adjacent land reasonably necessary for the convenient use of any such building or for the religious educational programs of the owner, shall be exempted from taxation if:

(1) Owned by a religious educational assembly, retreat, or similar organization;

(2) No officer, shareholder, member, or employee of the owner, or any other person is entitled to receive pecuniary profit from the owner's operations except reasonable compensation for services; and

(3) Of a kind commonly employed in those activities naturally and properly incident to the operation of a religious educational assembly such as the owner; and

(4) Wholly and exclusively used for

a. Religious worship or

b. Purposes of instruction in religious education.

(b) Notwithstanding the exclusive-use requirement of subsection (a), above, if part of a property that otherwise meets the subsection's requirements is used for a purpose that would require exemption if the entire property were so used, the valuation of the part so used shall be exempted from taxation.

(c) The fact that a building or facility is incidentally available to and patronized by the general public, so long as there is no material amount of business or patronage with the general public, shall not defeat the exemption granted by this section.

(d) Personal property owned by a religious educational assembly, retreat, or similar organization shall be exempted from taxation if it is exclusively maintained and used in connection with real property granted exemption under the provisions of subsection (a) or (b), above. (1973, c. 695, s. 4.)