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Religion and tax.

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  • 25-06-2010 08:31PM
    #1
    Lando Griffin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,952 ✭✭✭


    Does the Catholic Church pay any tax. Or for that matter any other religious industries in Ireland. If they dont I think they should and have it back dated. The amount of funds they collect must be hugh. Are they VAT EXEMPT?


«13456

Comments

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    #2
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    Pay tax on what?

    You dont pay tax just for existing. Businesses pay corporation tax, its not a business, they dont have profits.

    VAT exempt - exempt from what? They aren't buying or selling any tangible thing.

    I'm sure they pay DIRT on interest received, and will prob have to pay property tax if that comes in.


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    #3
    orourkeda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,916 ✭✭✭✭orourkeda


    WHY?


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    #4
    Naikon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭Naikon


    orourkeda wrote: »
    WHY?

    Well, the catholic church is one the largest and most corrupt religious institutions currently in existence. Everytime I see a fancy church I think to myself "This money could have been spent better" like a lot of people. As far as I know, they are exempt.


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    #5
    jd007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,094 ✭✭✭jd007


    orourkeda wrote: »
    WHY?

    because you touch yourself at night :(


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    #6
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    Naikon wrote: »
    Well, the catholic church is one the largest and most corrupt religious institutions currently in existence. Everytime I see a fancy church I think to myself "This money could have been spent better" like a lot of people. As far as I know, they are exempt.


    The fancy churches were almost all built in the 1800's with money donated by the people of the parish. Not given by the government. Its peoples own choice where they want to donate their own money.


    Exempt from what. Despite all the other taxes, the government havent got an existance tax, i.e., the church doesnt have to pay tax just because it exists.


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    #7
    Lando Griffin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,952 ✭✭✭Lando Griffin


    thetonynator wrote: »
    Pay tax on what?

    Pay tax on earnings taken from the basket going around at mass, the few bob at births deaths and marriages which could amount to a nice earner, donations from church members. They have special collections about five times a year etc etc


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    #8
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    Lando Griffin wrote: »
    Pay tax on earnings taken from the basket going around at mass, the few bob at births deaths and marriages which could amount to a nice earner, donations from church members. They have special collections about five times a year etc etc


    Do charities pay tax? These are all donations, they are not compulsory. You can attend mass without having to pay any money at all.


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    #9
    Yawns
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,254 ✭✭✭Yawns


    Not yet anyway :D


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    #10
    animaal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 815 ✭✭✭animaal


    thetonynator wrote: »
    Despite all the other taxes, the government havent got an existance tax

    NO, STOP IT, don't be giving the government ideas...


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    #11
    partyatmygaff
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    Lando Griffin wrote: »
    Pay tax on earnings taken from the basket going around at mass, the few bob at births deaths and marriages which could amount to a nice earner, donations from church members. They have special collections about five times a year etc etc

    Businesses pay tax, churches are not a business.


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    #12
    Naikon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭Naikon


    One of these days, I am going to set up a cult. Not sure what the belief system will be based on, but I am guessing something centered around this man:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLuaqNoxjro

    He exists in our heart and souls. Far more evidence for him than that fictional Jesus guy.

    Relgion == Profit !


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    #13
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,761 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    will these "houses of God" have to pay the new property tax?


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    #14
    orourkeda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,916 ✭✭✭✭orourkeda


    jd007 wrote: »
    because you touch yourself at night :(

    nice.

    now you can go f*ck yourself too


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    #15
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    Businesses pay tax, churches are not a business.
    I pay tax, I'm not a business.


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    #16
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,761 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    Businesses pay tax, churches are not a business.

    the church is a registered charity and therefore are exempt. but they are a business to, sure the try and flog you all sorts of crappy newsletters and papers and so forth


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    #17
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    will these "houses of God" have to pay the new property tax?


    It will depend on what context the tax is in, it may only be buildings that are permanently occupied, it may be a blanket property tax, covering burnt out shacks in a field someplace.


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    #18
    orourkeda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,916 ✭✭✭✭orourkeda


    Naikon wrote: »
    Well, the catholic church is one the largest and most corrupt religious institutions currently in existence. Everytime I see a fancy church I think to myself "This money could have been spent better" like a lot of people. As far as I know, they are exempt.

    What about all the other corrupt institutions in existence? Do you lie awake at night worrying about their tax liabilities also?


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    #19
    Dont be at yourself
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,461 ✭✭✭✭Dont be at yourself


    thetonynator wrote: »
    Do charities pay tax? These are all donations, they are not compulsory. You can attend mass without having to pay any money at all.

    If people "donate" millions and millions to me every year, I'll have to pay tax. Why should the church - any church - be exempt?


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    #20
    Naikon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭Naikon


    orourkeda wrote: »
    What about all the other corrupt institutions in existence? Do you lie awake at night worrying about their tax liabilities also?

    I don't worry about issues I have no control over. It's just a shame how the money is not accounted for. Doubt all of it is going towards "worthy causes". The church doesn't have to even reveal how the money is spent as far as I am aware. Most corporations don't play nice either. Such is Business. Who knows.


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    #21
    Coriolanus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    Well, off the top of my head, are they able to claim back VAT on goods and services purchased?


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    #22
    orourkeda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,916 ✭✭✭✭orourkeda


    Naikon wrote: »
    I don't worry about issues I have no control over. It's just a shame how the money is not accounted for. Doubt all of it is going towards "worthy causes". The church doesn't have to even reveal how the money is spent as far as I am aware. Who knows.

    The money is theirs. Unfortunately none of us have any control over how it's spent or accounted for. Neither should we. If funds have not been spent as you would like theres nothing anyone can do about it.


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    #23
    orourkeda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,916 ✭✭✭✭orourkeda


    Nevore wrote: »
    Well, off the top of my head, are they able to claim back VAT on goods and services purchased?

    So can every other VAT registered company. Why would they been any different?


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    #24
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    NekkidBibleMan wrote: »
    If people "donate" millions and millions to me every year, I'll have to pay tax. Why should the church - any church - be exempt?

    Should Trocaire, Concern, Goal, Oxfam, any charity you can think of have to pay tax?

    On another note, it was only a dig out, they were surrounding me, wanting to donate tis money to me and not wanting it back.:P


    Naikon wrote: »
    I don't worry about issues I have no control over. It's just a shame how the money is not accounted for. Doubt all of it is going towards "worthy causes". The church doesn't have to even reveal how the money is spent as far as I am aware. Most corporations don't play nice either. Such is Business. Who knows.


    Do you have to reveal how your money is spent? The church is not state funded, why should they have to reveal where every cent goes???

    Anyway, most pariches let their mass going parishioners know where the money they donate goes.

    Nevore wrote: »
    Well, off the top of my head, are they able to claim back VAT on goods and services purchased?

    I doubt it.


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    #25
    Coriolanus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    orourkeda wrote: »
    So can every other VAT registered company. Why would they been any different?
    Because a VAT registered company gets to reclaim VAT because the items purchased then go for resale or the production of items for resale or the provision of services.
    The VAT that's repaid to a company is recouped when the company sells the item and pays the VAT raised on that sale to Revenue, so the State still makes the same, if not more.


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    #26
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    the church is a registered charity and therefore are exempt. but they are a business to, sure the try and flog you all sorts of crappy newsletters and papers and so forth


    They arent a business. Papers and newsletters that may be religiously associated are not run by the church as a whole, but by businesses/publishers who want to sell religious literature.

    If you go to lourdes or knock and but some religious souvenier in a shop in that town, does that make the church a business because someone sold something religious in a shop?


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    #27
    Lando Griffin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,952 ✭✭✭Lando Griffin


    partyatmygaff wrote: »
    Businesses pay tax, churches are not a business.

    They sell things they buy things and offer services sounds like business to me


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    #28
    Gummy Panda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,919 ✭✭✭✭Gummy Panda


    You know when you pay the church for a wedding, is that considered a 'donation'?


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    #29
    thetonynator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭thetonynator


    Lando Griffin wrote: »
    They sell things they buy things and offer services sounds like business to me


    What do they sell that makes a profit? The Irish Cancer Society sell teddy key rings or pin on badges or something, but they are donations? What does the church sell?

    What services do they offer that you have to pay for? Weddings etc. prob have some related cost that goes towards the registry office, but afaik any payment after that is at your discretion.

    Gummy Panda wrote: »
    You know when you pay the church for a wedding, is that considered a 'donation'?

    As above.


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    #30
    Dont be at yourself
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,461 ✭✭✭✭Dont be at yourself


    thetonynator wrote: »
    Should Trocaire, Concern, Goal, Oxfam, any charity you can think of have to pay tax?

    Nope, but then they operate exclusively as charities.

    What about astrologists, faith healers or scientologists?


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    #31
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    FIFA are also a registered charity. No joke.


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