Should the Scientology organization receive tax breaks from the British government?
Should the Scientology organization receive tax breaks from the British government?
I don't think any religions should get tax breaks, unless they can be reasonably described as being primarily a charitable organization unconcerned with evangelizing.
Small local churches are often involved in their community and have very little money with which to perform their charitable works, and do make contributions as significant as non-religious non-profits. However, at least in the United States, it's far too easy for someone to found a "church" and get all the tax benefits and recognition as a religious institution while doing nothing for the community. And of course, there are larger churches that make what I'd call token gestures of charity; they have the cash flow of a national corporation but make less of an impact in peoples' lives than the tiny church down the block.
Ideally a church could function the same as any non-profit, but I doubt any church would want to deal with such a transition (and might fear for their legitimacy) regardless of whether or not they were part of the problem.
This article isn't about tax breaks from the British governemnt, it is about British government criticism of tax breaks made by local authorities.
The UK, and Europe in general, already has enough problem with another dangerous brainwashing cult, no wonder they are worried about getting another one.
I suppose the downside of the Conservatives 'Big Society' (or whatever he called it) is that the government has to recommend these things to local authorities rather than instruct them. I am very pleased that this recommendation has been made though, nice to see the conservatives target people with deep pockets for a change rather than the poor and vulnerable.I am shocked to hear that HMRC was successfully sued for £8M, when exactly was this? I suspect scientologies rep in britain has plummetted since then.