Is taoism a religion?

There have been attempts to turn taoism into a religion.
This is misguided.

To quote Ursula Le Guin:

The religion called Taoism is full of god, saints, miracles, prayers, rules, methods for securing riches, power, longevity, and so forth - all the stuff that Lao Tzu says leads us away from the Way.

(Ursula Le Guin)

Taoism is concerned with the art of living.

Taoism is not a religion or a belief system. It is only interested in observable reality. Not ideas and concepts.

Consider: if a person were to truly follow nature, they would need no form, no tuition, no words and no doubts.
A cat is not anxious or troubled. Nor is a tree.
They simply exist and they move in accordance with what they are. With their own natures.
We (humans) do not.

What we refer to as 'taoism' is simply the act of working with nature, rather than against it. It is not a religion.