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Why Are Religions Tax-Exempt?

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  • 05-01-2011 10:35pm
    #1
    RockinRolla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 575 ✭✭✭


    Who gets the money the church raises? Surely we could put it to better uses?


«13456

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    #2
    partyatmygaff
    Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    RockinRolla wrote: »
    Who gets the money the church raises? Surely we could put it to better uses?
    The people who give money to the church give it to the Church. It's not for you to decide what use it is put to. The money goes to the running of the church and affiliated charities.


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    #3
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    RockinRolla wrote: »
    Who gets the money the church raises? Surely we could put it to better uses?
    The church? and all the people who work in there...


    Would you rather have churches being exempt from tax or banks being exempt from tax??


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    #4
    RockinRolla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 575 ✭✭✭RockinRolla


    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    The people who give money to the church give it to the Church. It's not for you to decide what use it is put to. The money goes to the running of the church and affiliated charities.

    Yes, we should take all the churches money except their charity fundraising. ALL OF IT.
    af_thefragile wrote: »
    The church? and all the people who work in there...
    Would you rather have churches being exempt from tax or banks being exempt from tax??

    Who said anything about banks?


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    #5
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    RockinRolla wrote: »
    Who said anything about banks?

    There are banks and rich folks who get away without paying taxes. Their sum adds up to much more than the church makes. Also the church isn't a business. It works as a charity and charities are exempt from taxes.


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    #6
    red menace
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,462 ✭✭✭red menace


    RockinRolla wrote: »
    Yes, we should take all the churches money except their charity fundraising. ALL OF IT.



    Who said anything about banks?

    Even the wages of the people working for the church?


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    #7
    partyatmygaff
    Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    RockinRolla wrote: »
    Yes, we should take all the churches money except their charity fundraising.

    So, how do you propose the Churches run themselves?

    Trolls these days...


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    #8
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    af_thefragile wrote: »
    There are banks and rich folks who get away without paying taxes. Their sum adds up to much more than the church makes. Also the church isn't a business. It works as a charity and charities are exempt from taxes.

    No - it's an evil multinational corporation.


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    #9
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    So, how do you propose the Churches run themselves?

    Off the edge of a cliff, would be a good start.


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    #10
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    No - it's an evil multinational corporation.

    Its providing a service to the people. Whatever the people give to the church, they give it out of their own free will.

    It doesn't work like a bank or McDonalds where you can't get the service if you don't pay for it.


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    #11
    partyatmygaff
    Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    No - it's an evil multinational corporation.
    Eh, what Church are you talking about exactly? Or is this just the typical old random "I hate religion!11!!1" rubbish that's always being posted on AH.


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    #12
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,479 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    af_thefragile wrote: »
    Their sum adds up to much more than the church makes. Also the church isn't a business. It works as a charity and charities are exempt from taxes.

    oh right, so is that why the Vatican is the richest state in the world then is it? Cos they're so charitable and generous?

    FFS sake the church didn't even pay out for all its abuse victims, only ~120m of a 1bn+ bill (so far).

    Generous to a tee. :rolleyes:


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    #13
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    The church put a fictitious name on the returns to dodge it.


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    #14
    Kasabian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,689 ✭✭✭Kasabian


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    No - it's an evil multinational corporation.
    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    Eh, what Church are you talking about exactly? Or is this just the typical old random "I hate religion!11!!1" rubbish that's always being posted on AH.

    Ha ha Starbelgrade. You're in trouble now you old church basher you. :)


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    #15
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    Eh, what Church are you talking about exactly?

    All of them.


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    #16
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    oh right, so is that why the Vatican is the richest state in the world then is it? Cos they're so charitable and generous?

    FFS sake the church didn't even pay out for all the abuse victims, only ~120m of a 1bn+ bill (so far).

    Generous to a tee. :rolleyes:

    I'm not defending the church here. Not saying what it does is right.
    I'm only saying the church is an important institution for many people in the country and it works as a charity. As long as Ireland remains a catholic state and recognises the church as a charitable organisation rather than a business, the church will remain exempt from taxes.

    Sure the vatican got rich by plundering other nations. But that's a different story.

    More importantly there are many wealthy people and organisations who are getting away without paying any taxes. You should target them first before targeting the church for being exempt from taxes.

    The tax revenue from the church would be negligible compared to what the country would get if everyone paid their taxes properly, especially the wealthy corporations and the rich people who belong to them.


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    #17
    partyatmygaff
    Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    All of them.
    All churches are evil multinational corporations?

    I bet you'd make a fortune if you reported every church around the globe for tax evasion.


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    #18
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    af_thefragile wrote: »
    As long as Ireland remains a catholic state and recognises the church as a charitable organisation rather than a business, the church will remain exempt from taxes.
    It's not really a Catholic country though. Most Irish people are lapse Catholics and if Catholic rules were imposed strictly the vast majority would leave the church at the moment their Catholic in nothing but name.


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    #19
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    All churches are evil multinational corporations?

    No.

    Some of them aren't multinational.


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    #20
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,479 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    ScumLord wrote: »
    It's not really a Catholic country though. Most Irish people are lapse Catholics and if Catholic rules were imposed strictly the vast majority would leave the church at the moment their Catholic in nothing but name.

    Indeed, hopefully the census this year might finally and fully show this and we can separate the church from the state once and for all.


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    #21
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    ScumLord wrote: »
    It's not really a Catholic country though. Most Irish people are lapse Catholics and if Catholic rules were imposed strictly the vast majority would leave the church at the moment their Catholic in nothing but name.

    Most people consider themselves to be catholic. They go to church occasionally and all. Bigger point is most people will not agree to the church being taxed.

    It is sorta funny though why most people consider themselves to be christian when they do little that a christian is supposed to.
    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    Indeed, hopefully the census this year might finally and fully show this and we can separate the church from the state once and for all.
    Doubt that. As I mentioned, most people still consider themselves to be christian catholic even though they barely follow catholicism.
    The atheists/agnostics still have a long way to go before they get anywhere near the majority population.


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    #22
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    af_thefragile wrote: »
    Bigger point is most people will not agree to the church being taxed.
    Has the public been asked? I think many would like to see it taxed.


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    #23
    RockinRolla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 575 ✭✭✭RockinRolla


    af_thefragile wrote: »
    Most people consider themselves to be catholic. They go to church occasionally and all. Bigger point is most people will not agree to the church being taxed.

    It is sorta funny though why most people consider themselves to be christian when they do little that a christian is supposed to.


    Doubt that. As I mentioned, most people still consider themselves to be christian catholic even though they barely follow catholicism.
    The atheists still have a way to go before they get anywhere near the majority population.

    I'd recon most people would be in favour of taxing the church. Reap some of that 80odd billion back in no time at all.


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    #24
    Kasabian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,689 ✭✭✭Kasabian


    Thank fcuk my church is starting on BBC1 soon.

    I will pray for 3 points.


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    #25
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    Kasabian wrote: »
    Thank fcuk my church is starting on BBC1 soon.

    I will pray for 3 points.

    If you support Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Man City, you need to pray harder.


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    #26
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    ScumLord wrote: »
    Has the public been asked? I think many would like to see it taxed.

    Only way to find that out is to try bringing in a bill to tax the church and see the public reaction to it. I'll assure you there will be plenty of opposition to that and even you know that.

    Boards.ie doesn't really accurately represent the demographics of Ireland.


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    #27
    Kasabian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,689 ✭✭✭Kasabian


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    If you support Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Man City, you need to pray harder.

    fcuk you :P I am a real supporter.


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    #28
    minidazzler
    Registered Users Posts: 14,739 ✭✭✭✭minidazzler


    af_thefragile wrote: »
    Most people consider themselves to be catholic. They go to church occasionally and all. Bigger point is most people will not agree to the church being taxed.

    It is sorta funny though why most people consider themselves to be christian when they do little that a christian is supposed to.


    Doubt that. As I mentioned, most people still consider themselves to be christian catholic even though they barely follow catholicism.
    The atheists/agnostics still have a long way to go before they get anywhere near the majority population.

    Given the state of the economy most people will agree to taxes that aren't taxing themselves.


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    #29
    partyatmygaff
    Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    ScumLord wrote: »
    Has the public been asked? I think many would like to see it taxed.
    You cannot tax a non-profit entity that relies almost entirely on donations. Just because you personally think the church should be taxed doesn't mean that it should.


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    #30
    af_thefragile
    Registered Users Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭af_thefragile


    minidazzler wrote: »
    Given the state of the economy most people will agree to taxes that aren't taxing themselves.

    As I mentioned, its much more important to make sure all the wealthy/elite and their corporations pay their taxes properly first before you get to the church. Their sum in taxes is much larger than what the church would have.


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    #31
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    af_thefragile wrote: »
    Only way to find that out is to try bringing in a bill to tax the church and see the public reaction to it. I'll assure you there will be plenty of opposition to that and even you know that.

    Boards.ie doesn't really accurately represent the demographics of Ireland.
    Perhaps not but the tide has turned I think and while I'm sure there would be a very vocal subsection of Ireland that would complain and many more who would agree with them publicly under pressure from mammy things might be different in a private poll.
    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    You cannot tax a non-profit entity that relies almost entirely on donations. Just because you personally think the church should be taxed doesn't mean that it should.
    I wouldn't consider the church non-profit, they display their profit all over the world.


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