No. 24-154October Term 2024Decided Jun 5, 2025
Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc., et al., Petitioners v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission, et al.
The Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin violated the First Amendment by denying a tax exemption to Catholic Charities Bureau because the organization's charitable activities were deemed "secular" rather than religious.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 5, 2025
- What it's about
The Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin violated the First Amendment by denying a tax exemption to Catholic Charities Bureau because the organization's charitable activities were deemed "secular" rather than religious. The Court held that the state cannot condition religious tax exemptions on specific theological practices, such as proselytizing or serving only members of the same faith.
Question presented
Does a state violate the First Amendment’s religion clauses by denying a religious organization an otherwise-available tax exemption because the organization does not meet the state’s criteria for religious behavior?
- Case path
Supreme Court of Wisconsin / Decision released Jun 5, 2025
- Area
First Amendment, Business and Regulation
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials9
Supreme Court docket 24-154
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Mar 30, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Questions Presented
brief | Mar 8, 2026
Opinion
opinion | Jun 5, 2025
opinion
opinion | Jun 5, 2025
Oral Arguments - Catholic Charities Bureau v. WI Labor Review Comm'n
audio | Mar 31, 2025
Petition
brief | Aug 9, 2024
Lower Court Orders/Opinions
order | May 28, 2024