double post
Really Good News: JWs lost a defamation action against French Deputy
by AndersonsInfo 26 Replies latest jw friends
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AndersonsInfo
It would be wonderful if some of you folks could pass along this information to other XJW websites and discussion boards.
Thank you.
Barb
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Vive la France!
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james_woods
Let me ask again - does anybody know exactly what this official was specifically referring to in regard to not paying taxes?
For example, the literature sales? Real estate? Other?
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AndersonsInfo
I believe the French Deputy was referencing the still unpaid tax bill that was levied against Witnesses back in 1998. Perhaps, someone in France can enlighten us further. (I took the following information from old JWD posts.)
Barbara
France Delivers a $50,000,000 Tax Bill to Jehovah's Witnesses which covers a four-year period.
PARIS, June 30, 1998
http://www.jesus-witnesses.com/jwtax.htm
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES TOLD TO PAY TAXES
VERSAILLES -- The Jehovah's Witnesses organization in France must pay taxes on donations its members gathered in the street between 1993 and 1996, an appeals court decided Wednesday, in a ruling expected to cost the group over 45 million euros, or $39 million.
The verdict, which upholds a lower court's judgment, requires the group to pay 23 million euros in taxes on the 38 million euros it collected over that period, plus another 22.4 million euros in penalties and interest. The judges ruled that the Jehovah's Witnesses, who are classified as a sect and not a religion in France, are not eligible for tax exemption.
Jehovah's witnesses fight taxes in France
Aug/10/1998
http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_n29_v14/ai_21236421
And Motema Bolingo's site and discussion board:
http://users.skynet.be/jacques.luc/
http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/tjquestions/
Treasure Dept.:
http://www.minefi.gouv.fr/
Two posts from JWD, May 25-26, 2004
In February 2002, the Versailles Court of Appeals upheld a Nanterre court's 2000 decision that the French Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, a cultural association, must pay more than $47.5 million (45.7 million euros) in back taxes. The plaintiffs' appeal of the decision to the Court of Cassation was ongoing at the end of the reporting period.
The last time I heard about this case (about 2 months ago) the case was still pending.
There are a number of French-speaking xJW sites and forums but AFAIK there is no more recent information available than the 2002 decision by the Versailles Court of Appeal, which was already discussed on JWD: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/22622/1.ashx
About two months ago I was told by a relative who works at the French Treasury Department that the case was still pending, awaiting a final decision from the Concil of State (to which the national JW association appealed in the meantime).
Of course there is a huge pressure on France by the US State Department, which repeatedly pinpointed the case in its yearly Report on Religious Freedom.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24357.htm -
james_woods
Wow! Now that is a tax bill. Thanks, Barbara. It sure puts a more serious footing under this case than just a casual remark.
Probably they will skate out from under it, but I think I would be trying to settle rather than bringing useless lawsuits agains governmental officials in such a circumstance.
I have it!!! Maybe they need to do a massive letter-writing campaign to France much like they did in Malawi back in the 1960s?
Or, maybe - just maybe - the rank & file have no idea that this tax bill or failed lawsuit even exist.
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Barbie Doll
Barbara