UK Media: "Scientologists set to cash in on tax break"
JAFAW
June 23, 2007 Dominic Kennedy
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article1975104.ece
Scientologists set to cash in on tax break
----------------------------------------------
A change in the legal definition of religion has opened the way for
Scientology to claim a multi-million-pound British tax break by registering
as a charity.
Advisers believe the new law, which recognises groups that worship multiple
gods, or none at all, entitles the movement to the same privileges as
traditional faiths like Christianity.
Pagans, witches, Rastafarians, druids and satanists may also be entitled to
start rattling collecting tins bearing the label "registered charity".
Scientology, founded by the science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, has long
craved charitable status in England but was turned down by the Charity
Commission in 1999.
A vital sticking point was that religion was then defined as "worshipping a
supreme being". The main activities of Scientology involve a type of
one-to-one counselling known as "auditing", and "training", a practice that
involves the study of Hubbard's works. Neither was considered by the
commissioners to be worship. The commission noted that most followers paid
for these services but accepted that organised donations were a feature of
some established religions.
Scientology's main British body has an annual income of £10 million. If it
becomes a charity, it can reclaim the basic tax rate on donations, boosting
their value by 22 per cent.
The lawyer who finally won Scientology's 25-year battle for tax-free status
in the United States told The Times she believed it was now entitled to be
classed as a religion in Britain.
Monique Yingling, a lawyer from the Washington practice Zuckert, Scoutt &
Rasenberger, said: "The Charity Commission found that the Church of
Scientology was not a religion for charity purposes. At that time it
required worship of an anthropomorphic god and a supreme being. Now the law
has changed with the Charities Act 2006 and there is a new definition of
religion. Religion now includes belief in a god, belief in many gods or
belief in no god. It's pretty clear that the basis on which the Charity
Commission decided before no longer applies."
The commissions said a consultation would begin this autumn to clarify the
meaning of religion under the new law.
Scientology has already won a string of victories against British
officialdom to gain tax-free or low-tax status. In 2000 it persuaded Revenue
& Customs that it should be exempt from VAT on payments received because its
services were educational and nonprofitable. In a test case before the VAT
Tribunal, the Scientologists' lawyers forced the taxman to return £8 million
overpaid VAT. Revenue & Customs said it was "currently considering its
position".
Last November, when the faith opened a church near St Paul's Cathedral, it
was granted mandatory rate relief by the Corporation of London because it
was for "charitable purposes". The concession saves the sect £281,344 a
year.
Scientology was back in the news last month when the BBC Panorama reporter
John Sweeney admitted ranting, "like an exploding tomato", at sect chiefs
disrupting his investigation. Ms Yingling said: "The biggest discrimination
is that you are looked at as a second-class citizen because of the failure
to recognise Scientology as a charity. They can call you names like
'nefarious cult', which you wouldn't do to the Church of England."
Bob Keenan, director of the L Ron Hubbard Foundation, said: "We encountered
a lot of this in the recent BBC programme. That was almost their war cry."
Business of religion, page 68
In the stars
- Celebrity followers of Scientology include Tom Cruise, John Travolta,
Priscilla Presley, Kirstie Alley, and the musicians Chaka Khan and Beck
- The richest known follower is James Packer, the Australian with a $5
billion media empire
- Travolta's film of L Ron Hubbard's science fiction romp Battlefield Earth
was a box office disaster
- Scientologists turned the tables on Panorama by tracking the investigative
reporter John Sweeney with video cameras and putting embarrassing footage on
YouTube
- The German Government condemns Scientology as a commercial enterprise
"aimed at abolishing the free democratic basic order"
- Police officers were given free tickets to the London premiere of Cruise's
Mission Impossible 3
Source: Forbes; internet movie database; German Government; Times database
--- article end ---
The Dark Lord
(sarcasm)
Soon they could claim that they are a religion because inland revinue
says so.
Hartley Patterson
> From The Times (UK)
> June 23, 2007 Dominic Kennedy
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article1975104.ece
>
> Scientologists set to cash in on tax break
> Rasenberger
Cult member.
> It's pretty clear that the basis on which the Charity
> Commission decided before no longer applies."
You guessed folks? Yes, Monique is lying. The Commissioners also rejected
the application because the Church's activities were for 'members only'
and not of general benefit to the public. The Volunteer Ministers are in
part an attempt to correct this. Against this we will of course present
fat files showing that the VMs are primarily missionaries.
> They can call you names like
> 'nefarious cult', which you wouldn't do to the Church of England."
The Church of England *did* have a cult group in recent times, the 'Nine
O'clock Service' whose charismatic leader was on his way to abusing female
members when it was exposed.
--
Hartley Patterson
www.newsfrombree.co.uk
JAFAW
"Hartley Patterson" <hpt...@daisy.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MPG.20e71d3ff...@news.thundernews.com...
Yup. If one reads the Charity Commission criteria for awarding charitable
status it is more thatn just calling yourself a religion (or being accepted
as a form of religion due to some relaxation of the definition by other
bodies).
Some interesting readin....
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/rr8.asp
The CC report in 1999 was pretty damining and very clear.
Here's the PDF
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Library/registration/pdfs/cosfulldoc.pdf
The main sticking points that prevents them from ever gaining charitable
status are the ones that, if satisfied, would make scientology bankrupt
because it would no longer be able to function in the way that it does (i.e
for its own benefit). Any personal benefits of scientology to itself and its
members is meant to be minimal and entirely incidental so, on that basis,
the cult is never going to satisfy the CC requirements. It would take an
extraordinary reversal of the commission's rules to allow scientology
charitable status (and open the floodgates for many other undesireable
organisations).
Perhaps the cult are hoping to legally bombard and browbeat them into
submission. Aint going to happen. This is not the USA.
Peace and Goodwill
JAFAW
Rev. Norle Enturbulata, COD
"JAFAW" <an...@anon.net> wrote in message
news:yBafi.2681$%Z3....@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net...
In the UK you also have to have loads o' money, and a few friends in high
places. Sometimes that's all one needs here.
--
http://xenutv.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/panorama-scientology-and-me/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2535187,00.html
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology
http://xenu.com-it.net/txt/ildikoe.htm
http://www.xenu.net
http://www.xenutv.com
http://www.scientology-lies.com
http://www.whyaretheydead.net
http://www.scientology-kills.org
Rev. Norle Enturbulata
"Church" of Cartoonism
*
* " You can write that down in your book in great big letters. The only way
you can control anybody is to lie to them."
* -- L. Ron Hubbard, "Technique 88"
*
* "...Never discuss Scientology with the critic. Just discuss his or her
crimes, known and unknown. And act completely confident that those crimes
exist...."
* L. Ron Hubbard, "Critics of Scientology", November 5, 1967
*
* "All men shall be my slaves! All women shall succumb to my charms! All
mankind shall grovel at my feet and not know why!"
- L. Ron Hubbard, "Personal Affirmations"