Conference 7.286::digital

    re: .0
>Are there any other countries besides Switzerland which require corporations
>(juristische Personen) to pay Church Tax?
    
    I think it is quite common in Europe. At least in Finland all the
    corporations have to pay Church Tax. (and here they even cannot chose which
    church they are paying to). 
    
    		Pekka

    Are you just talking about companies being required to pay such taxes
    for themselves or also companies sending their employees church tax
    in through withholding?
    
    			Alfred

	... of a "Church Tax" before!  John, where DO you come up with
these things??? :>)  :>)

	I would think this kind of thing would have been swept away by
the Protestant Reformation!  Someone might as well give some of us
dunces a history lesson.  :>)

re .2

No, I'm not talking about withholding/paying for employees; I'm talking
about Digital itself being taxed.

re .1

So you're saying that there is actual tax on the company (not the employee)
in Finland, as in Switzerland.

Do you think there are other countries as well?  Are there countries where
the company can actually choose which church gets the tax?  You say they
can't in Finland, and they can't in Switzerland, either.  As I said in .0,
the tax paid by corporations (unlike the tax paid by individuals) is divided
in accordance with the local population figures.

If there are countries where corporations can choose which church gets the
corporate church tax, it would be even more interesting to know what Digital
does there.  Who decides (Ken?  Country management team)...

/john

    Hmmm...you mean individuals must pay too? based on income? That would
    indeed cut down on the weekly take from the collection plate. Maybe
    there's no need for the Sunday collection,huh?
    If individuals *do* have to pay,does DEC reimburse or what?
    
    Ken

    RE: topic in general 
    
    A number of countries support a State Church. That's part of the reason
    the US has the 1st amendment in the Bill of Rights. Where such state
    churches exist people often have to pay a church tax. It's not really
    all that different from a town, state, federal, or etc tax in the US.
    The church is more or less (depending on the country) a government
    operation. I would assume that DEC no more reimburses employess for
    those tax then they do for any other.
    
    			Alfred

    John,
    
    Paying church-taxes in the canton of Geneva is NOT mandatory for
    individuals who live in the canton. You can choose not to pay church-
    taxes without officially delcaring that you do not want to belong
    to a given church anymore. With the exception of the Federal Tax,
    all other tax regulations/rates/deductions allowed, etc. are cantonal
    decisions.
    Martha
    

So what's your problem, John?   
 That other countries don't abide by the Constitution of the United States of 
America??
 That DEC may be paying local taxes in other countries??
 That Switzerland provides state support for religion??
 Or is it time for another "nude rollerskating" topic???
 Or is work just quiet lately since you moved to the ivory towers of Nashua???

 You seem all fired up about this question, and I'm curious why.Knowing what's
driving this particular crusade may help focus the answers.

					Nigel

    RE: .9
    
    What in either of John's notes indicates to you that he is all fired up
    about this topic?  He's asking some very simple questions.  It's rather
    enlightening to find out how the "rest of Digital" operates.  Let's
    keep it on the topic at hand rather than start a personal attack.
    
    Barb

    
    Re: .9
    
    Chill out, Nigel.  From my perspective, YOU are the one with the
    problem.
    
    This note was only asking for information.  It seems inappropriate
    for you to jump to the conclusion that it's driven by an agenda.
    
    Steve
    

    re:.9
    
    If there are ghosts lurking about,said ghost is *not* Jesse
    Hemlms...he's very much alive.
    
    Ken

    Church Tax /Kirchensteuer in Germany
    
    The Company is NOT required to pay church tax.  The individual
    is required to enter his preference (Catholic or Protestant) on
    his/her tax card (Steuerkarten).  Since Luther was an advocate of
    Church and State working together for the common good this has
    always been a part of the established norm. Church employment inGermany
    is part of the Civil Service system with the standard gvmnt pay scales
    etc.  
    
    It is possible to stop paying the Church tax, however, one must first
    sign a formal statement and officially leave the Church and then have
    this new status entered on the Tax-Card. 
    
    Regards,
    
    Bruce
    in North Bavaria

    What do Muslims, etc. do in Germany with respect to the church tax?
    
    What does the formal statement bind you to?
    
    	-John Bishop