“From the cathedral to concert sermons and even the cereal aisle – religious organisations are cashing in to the tune of billions of dollars … and they're not paying tax.”
I’m not a regular viewer of channel 9 and its programme ‘A Current Affair’, but I was interested in their story on how religions in Australia are “cashing in”, running businesses and not paying a cent in tax.
One example of this free loading is the well known Weetbix Company ‘Sanitarium’ which pocketed the Seventh Day Adventist Church a cool 300m tax free dollars last year. It may come as a shock to many that there are some 17,000 religious institutions in Australia with tax free status. These parasites are claiming tax emption form all tax, company tax, land tax, GST, payroll tax, income tax, FBT. Unlike the rest of us, you name it, if it’s a tax religions don’t pay it.
These free loaders, range from the suspect, Scientolgy, to the dodgy Hillsong and you can throw in the out and out loony brigade as well. Not to mention the “mainstream” mobs such as the Catholics and Anglicans, its well documented what those fellas get up to. All these religious with their tax except snouts in the trough. It’s time we put a stop to this outrageous situation and made these free loaders pay their fair share. After all its very much a secret what these religions are doing with these billions of dollars they are ripping off from the legitimate taxpayers. All they say is something vague such as the money is used to “do good works.” Yeah right.
I’m not just talking about “Christian” religions, all religions in Australia, when it comes to tax, are singing from the same hymn sheet.

I see u sticking to one of the favourite Green/Regressive dogmas Paul. No doubt you would like to see the public trough increased so that the social work many of the churches do for next to nothing will be funded by the tax payer so high paying ngo's with degrees in socialism can get plum jobs.

u totally ignore the fact that people giving to churches have already paid tax on their income. No Paul u are not just talking about 'Christian ' religion however thats where the Greens and yourself seem totally fixated. You fail to mention the billions wasted on the gw religion with no benefit at all for society. No doubt the martians told Bob Brown that this was ok.

The real 'parasites' as you put it Paul are the publicly funded propganda organisations that many of the Greens have a foothold in. Your Christophobia should be stated bluntly instead of hiding behind thinly veiled disguises. Just look at the mess the likes of your dogmas have created in Indigeneous communities since the sacrifical 'missionaries'were expelled. You must be very proud of that.

runner wrote
"since the sacrifical 'missionaries'were expelled."

What the same "missionaries" who enslaved, tortured and stole from indigenous peoples? The same "missionaries" that supported a government who saw aborigines as fauna? Who accepted, and then abused stolen indigenous children? Give me a break. A large part of the problems in indigenous communities is directly because of what your so called missionaries did.

Im not sure you understand the meaning of the word regressive runner. It is you happy clappers and you magical superfreind who are the regressive ones. Never once have you godbotherers ever supported advances in humanity. From Gallileo to the pill to abortion to marriage. Science, medicine, the environment you want to see it all returned to the dark ages and never progress further.

All religions should be treated the same as any other business/charity/not for profit. If they are running a business they should pay tax. If they are doing charitable works, not building more temples or paying their leaders millions, then fine they can be treated like any other charity.

Still expect to see all the faithful squeal like little fat piggies since with their declining membership and attendance without their tax free land and holdings they would be broke within a decade.
hmmm sounds good to me.

'Still expect to see all the faithful squeal like little fat piggies since with their declining membership and attendance without their tax free land and holdings they would be broke within a decade.
hmmm sounds good to me. '

such ignorance mikk. To think you accuse others of living in fairyland. Read the end of the book mate. The godless literally have no hope unless of course they turn from their pig headedness and recieve mercy from the Only One who can forgive them.

Paul, the answer is a transaction tax, a very small one,, on each and every financial transaction and make them exempt to no one.

I do share your concerns, often have done because while they may claim to be a not for profit organization, every thing they buy by way of property, which they do, is one less property available to others. Another contributor to the unaffordable housing situation for many.

They also have the advantage of protecting their perpetrators and fighting their legal battles TAX FREE, or at least with funds that many businesses need to pay their taxes.

I'm with you, time they pay their way as they are a money making business these days operating under the banner of a not for profit entity.

Flat Tax ! Full Stop ! Everyone pays the same rate, no more fiddling the numbers, a level playing field once & for all !