Congregations as Charities?

by Nosferatu 10 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • Nosferatu
    Nosferatu

    http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/1999/19991127/html/commis-e.html

    I found this thing, not quite sure what it means, but the following are listed as charities:

    VALLEYVIEW CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, PORT ALBERNI BRITISH COLUMBIA, PORT ALBERNI, B.C.

    PARKSIDE CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, CHATHAM, ONT.

    HAMILTON-DUNDAS CONGREGATION OF
    JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, DUNDAS, ONT.

    FOREST PARK CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, EMBRUN, ONT.

    CASA LOMA CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, TORONTO, ONT.

    STRATHCONA CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, WINNIPEG, MAN.

    PARK ROYAL CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, HALTON HILLS, ONT.

    ONTARIO CIRCUIT 21B OF JEHOVAH'S
    WITNESSES, GUELPH, ONT.

    LANGARA CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, VANCOUVER, B.C.

    Any of you people who know legal lingo care to decipher what this is?

  • Happy Guy :)
    Happy Guy :)

    My understanding is that most, if not all, the individual Kindgdom Halls/ Congregations in Canada are also listed individually as a charity. This would be for legal and tax purposes.

  • Scully
    Scully

    Nosferatu

    FYI, there are almost 1500 JW-related "charitable organizations" listed on the CCRA's (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) website. You can perform a search - using Jehovah as your search keyword - here.

    Usually in the Canada Gazette they list newly approved charitable organizations and those that are in default of their requirements for being recognized as approved charitable organizations (if they didn't file an income tax return or if two congregations amalgamated, etc). An interesting search in the Gazette is to find out which JW congregations had their status revoked. (It's happened... I've checked it before.)

    Love, Scully

    Canada Revenue AgencyGovernment of Canada
    alt
    alt
    Français Contact usHelpSearchCanada Site
    What's newMedia roomElectronic mailing listsElectronic servicesForms and publications
    HomeSite map
    Tax > Charities >

    Lists of Canadian registered charities

    In addition to the list of all Canadian registered charities our Web pages now give you online access to these lists:

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    One of my last jobs as Secretary in the mid 90's was to set up the paperwork for our congo to become a registered charity with the UK Charities Commission.

    This meant that we could receive donations unde a "Deed of Covenant" and then , provided that the donor was an income tax payer, claim back tha tax that he/she had paid on that earned money. This increased the donations under that scheme by about one third once it was grossed up. A nice little earner.

    Our charitable works were listed as,I believe, Bible education and teaching..

  • iiz2cool
    iiz2cool

    My last congregation was registered as a charity, and they have to be in order to issue income tax receipts to people who make donations. Every year they are required to spend a certain percentage of the money they issued receipts for. That may account for the constant renovations they are always doing, even when renovations are not needed.

    I wonder if anyone has ever heard of a congregation actually doing any charitable work. Yeah, right!

    Walter

  • Scully
    Scully
  • Scully
    Scully

    Charitable Status Revoked in 2001:

    119288918RR0362CHATEAUGUAY CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAHS WITNESSES LECLAIR UNIT, CHÂTEAUGUAY, QUE.
    119288918RR1012CONGRÉGATION DES TÉMOINS DE JÉHOVAH DE MONTRÉAL-HOCHELAGA (QUÉBEC), MONTRÉAL (QUÉ.)
    119288918RR1235GARIBALDI HIGHLANDS CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, GARIBALDI HIGHLANDS, B.C.

    119288918RR0618CONGRÉGATION DES TÉMOINS DE JÉHOVAH DE LONGUEUIL-CENTRE (QUÉBEC), LONGUEUIL (QUÉ.)
    119288918RR1119SASKATOON SASK. CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, MOUNT ROYAL UNIT, SASKATOON, SASK.
  • RunningMan
    RunningMan

    I used to do the Charitable Organization return for my congregation. As the accounts servant, and a certified accountant by trade, the job naturally fell to me. If your congregation isn't listed as a charitable organization, then someone isn't doing their job. They can't issue a tax receipt without it.

    When I stopped going to meetings, the first year, they forgot to do the return and had their status revoked. Ha, ha.

  • itsallgoodnow
    itsallgoodnow

    Yes, charities which disenfranchise their members. They shouldn't be allowed any tax breaks if they don't allow their members their rights of citizenship. Just my 2 cents, anyway.

  • kwintestal
    kwintestal

    France had it right.

    It's time for us in Canada to crack down on this. The JW's are just using the "charity" status to save more money. We should contact our MP's to make a requirement that a charity is required to provide certain services - outside the religious BS that JW's consider "charity".

    Not only with the JW's get dinged, but all those phoney charity companies will too.

    I'll call my MP on Monday.

    Kwin

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