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Tax the Church

  • 14-12-2009 12:24pm
    #1
    bobbyjoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 798 ✭✭✭


    They got loads of money and property.
    They want to influence policy and have a say in society.
    Pay the entrance fee then!! Tax em


Comments

  • #2
    KC JONES
    Closed Accounts Posts: 243 ✭✭KC JONES


    agreed tax the weekly collection too


  • #3
    monkeypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭monkeypants


    It'll. Never. Happen.

    The church and the state are still too intertwined at this point.


  • #4
    ei.sdraob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭ei.sdraob


    never mind taxing them theres a bigger problem

    how about they (and not the state) pay for the compensation of victims

    they have churches lined with gold and marble yet they cant pay out for their own crimes


  • #5
    Rb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,277 ✭✭✭✭Rb


    ei.sdraob wrote: »
    never mind taxing them theres a bigger problem

    how about they (and not the state) pay for the compensation of victims

    they have churches lined with gold and marble yet they cant pay out for their own crimes
    Indeed, and it's been proven that the Church has been transferring assets into the names of organisations they control to blurr the figures on their spreadsheets, making it seem that they've a lot less than previously thought.

    As crooked as the Government themselves and yet even less accountible for their vile actions against society, not to mention those poor, poor children whos lives they've destroyed in perhaps some of the most disgusting ways possible.


  • #6
    MikeC101
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭MikeC101


    Rb wrote: »
    Indeed, and it's been proven that the Church has been transferring assets into the names of organisations they control to blurr the figures on their spreadsheets, making it seem that they've a lot less than previously thought.

    Any links to this? Not that I don't believe it to be true (I very much do believe it's the case), but has there been a decent report done on the subject in Ireland?

    I'd be very interested to see a full statement of the Church's finances, including for example the value of property they own, art in their possession, and the income from any business they own (eg Veritas.)

    I know the individual parishes publish end of year accounts of a sort, but is there anything on a national level?

    As an aside, can anyone confirm that in return for their tax exempt status in the USA, religious organisations are bound by law not to make any political statements?


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  • #7
    monkeypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭monkeypants


    ei.sdraob wrote: »
    how about they (and not the state) pay for the compensation of victims
    You can thank Michael Woods for that. :mad:


  • #8
    bamboozle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,699 ✭✭✭bamboozle


    bobbyjoe wrote: »
    They got loads of money and property.
    They want to influence policy and have a say in society.
    Pay the entrance fee then!! Tax em


    we may then see the Church stop their contributions to the running of schools throughout the country...state would then have to take up that slack.


  • #9
    Rb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,277 ✭✭✭✭Rb


    MikeC101 wrote: »
    Any links to this? Not that I don't believe it to be true (I very much do believe it's the case), but has there been a decent report done on the subject in Ireland?

    I'd be very interested to see a full statement of the Church's finances, including for example the value of property they own, art in their possession, and the income from any business they own (eg Veritas.)

    I know the individual parishes publish end of year accounts of a sort, but is there anything on a national level?

    As an aside, can anyone confirm that in return for their tax exempt status in the USA, religious organisations are bound by law not to make any political statements?
    It was discussed in the A&A forum here recently, I'll fish out the link for you after lunch.


  • #10
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,038 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    ei.sdraob wrote: »
    they have churches lined with gold and marble
    The various denominations also have many churches in different states of disrepair and which would require millions to rectify. They are only really useful as churches. If they were to be sold off, they would be practically worthless. As most are also 'listed', their uses are very limited.


  • #11
    MikeC101
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭MikeC101


    Rb wrote: »
    It was discussed in the A&A forum here recently, I'll fish out the link for you after lunch.

    Thanks!

    I had a search in that forum and I think it's this thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055756208 which has some very informative posts.


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  • #12
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    Are we talking about the Roman Catholic Church or all religions? For that matter, do we mean all charities?


  • #13
    herya
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,571 ✭✭✭herya


    The Corinthian wrote: »
    Are we talking about the Roman Catholic Church or all religions? For that matter, do we mean all charities?

    A sliding scale - a small non-profit charity or church pays peanuts while huge profit generating charity or church pays a lot. All books subject to control of course.


  • #14
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    herya wrote: »
    A sliding scale - a small non-profit charity or church pays peanuts while huge profit generating charity or church pays a lot. All books subject to control of course.
    I think you'll find that there would be resistance from this, not only from religions, but charities too. When the issue of charities being VAT exempt was raised some time back, many of them started campaigns against abolishing the exemption.


  • #15
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,038 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    herya wrote: »
    huge profit generating charity or church pays a lot. All books subject to control of course.
    What church gererates "huge profit"? Most can't balance their books.

    And what charities are "profit gererating". Surely any money raised goes to the cause. It's not as if they have shareholders to keep happy.


  • #16
    Daithinski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 279 ✭✭Daithinski


    bobbyjoe wrote: »
    They got loads of money and property.
    They want to influence policy and have a say in society.
    Pay the entrance fee then!! Tax em

    Never mind taxing them. Burn them down!


  • #17
    Raiser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,929 ✭✭✭Raiser


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    What church gererates "huge profit"? Most can't balance their books.

    They could sell all of their real estate, most of those Churches would make excellent nightclubs ;)

    - Burn the rest of them though - just for the spectacle and because they are remnant of the Dark Ages and a daily reminder to their Victims.


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