So should religious institutions be taxed like rest of soceity. Many places here in australia use business models to attrack the masses whilst making millions tax free.
They should be taxed like the rest of business.
Yes
No
So should religious institutions be taxed like rest of soceity. Many places here in australia use business models to attrack the masses whilst making millions tax free.
They should be taxed like the rest of business.
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Only those parts of their income that are directly related to charity should be exempt, including a reasonable sum for administration of that charitable portion.
Well here in Belgium, part of our tax money actually goes to the Catholic Church, even if you're not a catholic or anything. Priests etc. get payed by the government. So that should change yeah. I don't want a part of my money spend on a institution I don't give a shit about.
Quick question? How do religious institutions make money? I can hardly believe they survive on donations alone, given the fact that over here its mostly old people going to church.
Donations, property, investments, charitable endeavors, events, holidays, government funding in some cases and tax exemption.
Churches nowadays are often vastly profitable endeavors, and the catholic one specifically is known for extreme wealth for the higher priests and the comfort of which they reside in.
I think the solution is simple.
Give each religious institution a choice:
A: Be private (i.e. not open to government/public monitoring) - pay tax as full business.
B: Be public (i.e TOTALLY open to government/public monitoring) - pay very low rate of tax.
The same happens in Italy, even though you are given the illusion of a choice between Church and State. The church doesn't even pay the taxes on properties, which is a big deal here, since it's full of them .
And I agree with Led++, being myself an atheist I don't see the point in supporting something that I do not use, not even remotely. I would prefer to be taxed for scientific research (the tax exist but it's not mandatory) or to support NGOs.
It doesn't bother me to any great extent. I think if a Church or religious institution which puts its money primarily, if not entirely toward charitable causes, has probably earned the right to be exempt. Despite being an atheist, i'm honest enough to both see and admit that most churches tend to be a force for good in the world; irrespective of their religious beliefs.
The likes of Televangelists, however? They really should be taxed to hell and back; given that they are the most brazenly shameless con artists of the modern day.
I believe they should be taxed. Or at least they should be much more rigorously evaluated.
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Tax them to death ;-)
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Churches are a part of European culture and to maintain them priests need money. I doubt that the incomes from mass can be enough.
But i still dont care, they should be taxed.