Just heard JW's make 750 million a month!

by foolsparadise 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  foolsparadise

  My friend who still goes to meetings to please family said he was listening to CNBC today.

  He said the government is talking about taxing religions. The one religion they did focus on was the Jehovahs Witnesses. Supposedly they said why is this group making this much tax free money and they never pay any clergy or help members with any finances.

  Maybe they will realize it is just a publishing company using people for free labor to get richer and richer. Maybe they will take away their religious status?
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  jay88

  If there is and "Truth" to this it would make Warren Buffett look like a chump.
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  Scott77

  Please, provide a link to the discussion. This should be an interesting news.

  Scott77
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  MrFreeze

  Sources. PLease provide sources. We need something official in writing.
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  Band on the Run

  The Witnesses would never make the extent of their income and expenses public. Taxing religions is either forbidden by the Establishment Clause. Tax is governmental intrusion in religion.

  Anyone can speculate, just as I can speculate on the assets the Pope holds personally, or Paul McCartney's income. Unless it is a public company, no one needs to know. I can never imagine the WTBTS disclosing the figure. It could be that their accountants don't know.

  If it were an estimate, what are the figures? Is property counted? What about the grant of income through volunteer work? I believe there is a difference when church-owned property is used for commercial purposes.

  The IRS does not collect data. What not 2 billion or $5? Whose accounting standards were used?

  I'd be very wary.
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  Band on the Run

  Iit breaks every tenet of the Const'n protection of religion to determine what is a legitimate use of money. James Madison wrote his famous Remonstrace concerning taxation of religion to combat this very scheme. There had to be a misunderstanding of what was said. The Supreme Court has always gone out of its way to protect minority religions. This country was founded to protect minority religions.

  What about the Moonies? Many religions don't have paid clergies. It is very unprincipled.
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  diamondiiz

  Doesn't sound right BUT an organization that primarily operates like a business and hides behind the veil of religion should pay taxes. Personally, all religions should pay tax. But WTS's primary operations are printing and using free labor to distribute the publication where they get income from either "donations" from the public or the publication get covered by the members on a "donation" basis. $750million a month sounds way too high though. $75 million maybe but even that sounds high. Since US is having hard time balancing their budget I would love to see them tax religion even in the name of balancing the budget.
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  Anony Mous

  JW's have a thing for over exaggerating 'good' news stories.

  750M/month would mean >$100/month donations from each individual active JW. That is $10,000/congregation/month. Trust me, the figure is at best 1/10th of that in your average rich congregation (if that) not to speak of the millions living in 3rd world countries.

  I believe the report actually said 750M/year although I think the correct figure is 900M? It's somewhere on these forums and other websites. The net value is a lot more (it's estimated at $1B in the UK alone) but converting that value in actual liquidity may be more difficult.
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  DesirousOfChange

  Personally, all religions should pay tax.

  ALL RELIGIONS and ALL NON-PROFITS.

  Give exemptions ONLY for what they give TO the community.

  If over 10% goes to salaries, remove their status.

  The US and every State and Munincipality is looking for every way possible to increase their revenue. TAX THE BUSINESS OF RELIGION, DUMMIES!
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  OnTheWayOut

  I am all for taxing religion, then allowing deductions for approved charity work. Of course, that would be abused also. If their claim that their literature distribution is a charity work is denied, they will change the literature to whatever the rules say it needs to be: educational or motivational or whatever. I would deny all printing costs as charity work and stick with the basics: feeding and clothing and sheltering people in need, providing medical care, stuff like that.

  If government cracks down on this, they will increase taxes or at least force religion to do more good.

  I doubt WTS pulls in that much, even worldwide. But change the rules and make them disclose. Also, it is difficult for any one country to do stuff to religion (like France is doing to WTS) because these things are international and they will look for loopholes to put their money in another country.