Crphan Crow: "discuss estate planning".
Dear Crow, a little bit of information about estate planning instead of holiday planning in the pension....
The official journal of the religion JW in Austria published 2010 a new constituion for the new state religion.
The JW laywers (the JW layer is one of the best laywers in religious law in Austria) worked out the JW constitution for the state.
In paragraph 14 how the contributions are handled in Austria.
First the constitution according to § 13 says that baptism and affiliation to a local congregation are both premises for the membership in the religious association.
Secondly regarding the funds the JW constituiton reads that the society usually ACCEPTS [not encashes] donations and other grants in cash or asset value as well as heritage and legacy, which it receives to promote its goals and uses how it seems utile to her to fulfill the goals of this constitution.
Further in case that grants or heritages are not clearly classable to be given to a certain division or institution, the religious SOCIETY is presumed to be preconceived.
The [foreign] governing body monitors [the Austrian] directors and the disposition of the funds annually.[and however does not report voluntarily about its findings and is of course not oblidged to do so]]
Should the case occur that the funds are not sufficient enough to guarantee financiation of the religious society the branch office is allowed to stipulate temporarily or permanently a contribution and ist allowed to determine the regulations for such a contribution.
https://www.jehovas-zeugen.at/uploads/media/Jahrgang_2010__Nr.1.pdf
This already the actual constitutional law in Austria. It is awaited that the JW have to guarantee their own financiation.
This is the link with all offical journals of the religion since 2010. This is the constitution.
Under LAW ("RECHT") you find all official journals and all decrees.
https://www.jehovas-zeugen.at/Recht.41.0.html
- Decree- constitution
https://www.jehovas-zeugen.at/uploads/media/Verfassung.pdf
Here you find also a special "investment management law" for JW in Austria
https://www.jehovas-zeugen.at/uploads/media/Verm%C3%B6gensverwaltungsgesetz.pdf
or a
"Accident prevention law" for JW in Austria
https://www.jehovas-zeugen.at/uploads/media/Unfallverh%C3%BCtungsgesetz.pdf
It seems the Austrian law of JW is a mastermind for the worldwide organisation.
Now let us wait for the certainly on 25th of May coming Austrian GDPR reacting to the "EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR") that applies with 25th of May.
Austrias_JW have an own "seal decree", they are legally allowed herewith to use an embossed seal on documents. It has to be used to gether with blue ink!. For documnts and certificates. (So the online-communcation is not so secure in Austria. There JW would like to introduce the monarchial constitutional hierarchy again ;_)
https://www.jehovas-zeugen.at/uploads/media/Siegelordnung.pdf