Vatican also now taxed by Israel:
http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2012/02/vatican-to-pay-property-tax-in-israel.html
Vatican told to pay taxes as Italy tackles budget crisis
by cantleave 16 Replies latest jw friends
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HintOfLime
Really, I think any organization that is exempt from taxes should be required to provide 100% transparency.. Organizations - including religions - that don't spend an appropriate majority of their income on genuine humanitarian efforts (not self-serving efforts like distributing literature) should lose exempt status.
The "New Life Church" is a terrific example - a giant complex with it's own theater and recreation center complete with basketball court - not to mention a second-story office complex with it's own IT and Web departments. It competes with local gyms, child-care centers, and other entertainment businesses and does so tax-free. It really is big business.
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mind blown
I'm sure Cedars will get a kick out of this. It seems an online petition on Facebook helped in bringing the Vatican to it's knees...
Mr Almunia said in 2010 that the exemption amounted to state aid that might breach EU competition law. A parliamentary proposal by the Italian Radicals party last August to repeal the exemption, with a successful petition on Facebook, upped the pressure. A spokesman for Mr Almunia appeared to give the thumbs-up yesterday: "It is a proposal that constitutes a significant progress on the issue and I hope will be implemented," he said.
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truthseeker1969
I thought the vatican was a sovereign state. the pope was head of state and therefor italy could not impose any law within the vatican.
he has his own army, police, etc and therefor he employs people as they are not volunteers. on PBS there was a good prog. that showed it costs 305 mill to keep the vatican and church running and income was 300 million. however they would not reveal what the vatican bank has in its coffers as it was off limits.
either way no one should be exempt from tax when there are so many loopholes available to the rich and powerful
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finally awake
Really, I think any organization that is exempt from taxes should be required to provide 100% transparency.. Organizations - including religions - that don't spend an appropriate majority of their income on genuine humanitarian efforts (not self-serving efforts like distributing literature) should lose exempt status.
I think this is a terrific idea. Any group who wants to be exempt from income tax, sales tax, or property tax should have to publish full financial statements. Any group with more than $1,000,000 in revenue should have to hire an outside CPA to audit the books every year.
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NOLAW
They are going to pay taxes for business ventures.
So no taxes on donations, religious buildings...
Nothing to compare with the dictatorial regime of France even though the new pm of Italy is a puppet of the trilateral-much like the Greek one.
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ssn587
I agree with finallyawake churches should pay taxes, nothing in the constitution about them having a special classification and free from all responsibility of paying taxes, they should also be paying taxes on all monies invested etc. I for one am tired of their free ride. The WTBTS is nothing more than a business hidden by a cloak of religisosity and they prey on people and familes. They have absolutely no programs to help the poor, sick, and needy although they do have an agenda to protect peds and not the victims.