Critics say a centuries-old law that exempts charitable companies from paying tax need to be changed. As Checkpoint‘s Nita Blake-Persen reports, you might be surprised how many products in your pantry are made by companies which don’t have to pay tax. Continue read
Posts Tagged ‘tax exemption’
Auckland City Council hikes rates for churches
Thursday, August 30th, 2018
The Auckland Council will urgently review the rates bills of the city’s churches after hundreds were issued huge rises. One church in central Auckland, which asked not to be named, received an increase of 6900 percent, from $400 to $28,000. The council issued new rates bills, without consultation, to the churches earlier this month, claiming Read more
Petition seeks to make all religious institutions pay tax
Thursday, March 15th, 2018
On 6 March a petition to Parliament was launched seeking to remove tax free status from all religious institutions. The petition requests: “That the House of Representatives pass legislation to tax all religious institutions.” The reason for the petition is: “Destiny Church and similar evangelical institutions are having a direct and negative impact on the Read more
Critics of tax imposed on clergy reduce government official to tears
Thursday, November 23rd, 2017
In Samoa, critics of the new tax laws used language that was so strong and emotive that it led to one government official shedding tears. Church ministers did not mince words when they expressed anger and disappointment at the Samoan government’s decision to tax their incomes – and gratuities – starting on 1 January 2018. Read more
Charities regulator risks becoming censor
Tuesday, November 29th, 2016
Charities Services has confirmed it will analyse the Destiny Church’s tax-free status and see if its guilty of breaching the Charities Act. If anything is uncovered a full investigation will then be carried out. But stripping Destiny Church of its charity status risks turning Charities Services into a censor, a charity law expert says. To Read more
Strange twist occurs in anti Tamaki protest
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016
An online campaign has been set up asking people to donate to Rainbow Youth using Bishop Brian Tamaki’s name. But Tamaki’s wife has tweeted, her husband will receive a tax return to the value of one third of every donation over $5. Rainbow Youth supporters were encouraged to make the donations in Tamaki’s name, using Read more