He is upset that businesses are using foreign countries with more attractive tax laws as a haven for tax saving.<\/p>\n
From here<\/a>:<\/p>\n The Archbishop kept his strongest comments for the role taxes play in ensuring that companies contribute to the societies in which they operate.<\/p>\n “There has always been the principle that you pay the tax where you earn the money,” he told me.<\/p>\n “If you earn the money in a country, the revenue service of that country needs to get a fair share of what you have earned.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Welby\u2019s point about contributing to the society in which a business operates by paying tax in that country would be more convincing if the Church of England didn’t receive extravagant tax breaks. The church collects \u00a31 billion a year in donations, spends \u00a3189 million in salaries, has an investment portfolio worth \u00a35.5 billion and receives \u00a384 million in Gift Aid<\/a> tax rebates.<\/p>\n The church, of course, is a charity and does not operate for profit \u2013 although the \u00a35.5 billion looks suspiciously like profit to me. In spite of its spiritual aspirations \u2013 none of which seem particularly in evidence these days – as an organisation, the CofE runs as a business.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t help that in 2012 when the government threatened to impose VAT tax on church building renovations, the church pleaded to be exempt<\/a> from that tax, too.<\/p>\n To be clear: I don’t think churches should have to pay tax. However, since churches are in that privileged position in our society, a church leader who whines about businesses minimising their taxes deserves all the ridicule we can muster: his organisation is a consummate tax dodger.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" He is upset that businesses are using foreign countries with more attractive tax laws as a haven for tax saving. From here: The Archbishop kept his strongest comments for the role taxes play in ensuring that companies contribute to the … Continue reading