the Revenue Act of 1950
Before the 1950s, tax-exempt organizations could
earn tax-free income from both mission-related activ- ities and commercial business activities that were un- related to the purpose for which they were exempt, as long as they used the net profits for exempt purposes.
However, in the 1940s, concerns grew in Congress over the perception that tax-exempt organizations
were permitted an unfair competitive advantage over
taxable entities. As a result, Congress established
the "unrelated business income tax" (UBIT) as part
of the Revenue Act of 1950. For tax years beginning