Supreme Court Rules 9–0 Wisconsin Violated First Amendment by Denying Tax Exemption to Catholic Charity

A divided lower court previously ruled Catholic Charities is not exempt from unemployment tax because it is not ‘operated primarily for religious purposes.’

The Contemplation of Justice statue at the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington on May 19, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 5 ruled unanimously that Wisconsin violated the First Amendment by not granting a Catholic charity an exemption from paying unemployment tax.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the 9–0 opinion in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission.