Taxes in France

by ChileanRick 15 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • ChileanRick
    ChileanRick

    Hi friends, what do you know about the taxes not paid by the WT in France? I would like to have more information on that.

    Thanks

    ChileanRick

  • bryan1
    bryan1

    I don't know, but... bttt.

    Bryan

  • Narkissos
    Narkissos

    Hi Rick,

    The most recent mention I Googled out is the following

    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.
  • garybuss
    garybuss

    I think Celia is from France.

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/member/1850.ashx

    You might want to PM her and get her attention.

    Please post your findings here for us. I am interested in an update on the France situation myself. GaryB

  • Agent 1 of 1
    Agent 1 of 1

    Here's a question. When was the French Association of Jehovah's Witnesses established? I want to do some calculations then if anybody knows.

  • jwsons
    jwsons
  • blondie
    blondie

    Is there a government website in France that can be queried?

    Is there an ex-JW French website?

    Blondie

  • Narkissos
    Narkissos

    Blondie,

    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

  • garybuss
    garybuss

    Narkissos , Are any of the Witness business activities banned in France? Are they allowed to own meeting places? Are meetings banned? Is door to door literature distribution and donation solicitation banned?

    Is anything banned except making a tax free profit? Thanks, GaryB

  • Gerard
    Gerard

    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


Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit