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2w ago

Wisconsin Supreme Court Confirms Unemployment-Tax Exemption for Catholic Charities

The order implements the U.S. Supreme Court’s June directive by confirming eligibility under Wisconsin’s religious-purpose statute.

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Overview

  • The court’s Monday order declares Catholic Charities Bureau and its affiliated entities eligible for the religious-purpose exemption to unemployment taxation.
  • The justices remanded the case to the circuit court to vacate prior agency rulings and directed the Labor and Industry Review Commission to grant eligibility.
  • The decision follows a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor that found Wisconsin’s earlier approach to be unconstitutional denominational discrimination.
  • Attorney General Josh Kaul’s request to eliminate the exemption statewide as a remedial measure was rejected by the court.
  • The dispute dates to a 2016 denial by the Department of Workforce Development; advocacy groups including Becket and NCLA praised the ruling, and reports have estimated unemployment taxes at roughly $440–$490 per employee per year without the exemption.