It is not the place of a mere government to judge them.
Is it "the place" of a church to judge someone's "right" to salvation based upon the payment of a "full tithe"?
I know of no "real" religion that forbids entry of family members to a church building based upon payment of a "full tithe"...the mormon church does not allow family members, parents, siblings, grandparents to attend a temple wedding unless these family members are "full tithe payers".
What kind of "good neighbors" approve of this? Do you?
It seems to me that the courts in Europe are giving mormonism tit for tat! You base the privileges of your religion upon money, so the court bases its grant of tax exemption based upon your method of receiving the money of members and the exclusivity of your actions!
Here are the specific reimbursements dispensed out of the payment the LDS Church deposits in the Mission President’s account.
“While you are serving as mission president, the Church reimburses the necessary living expenses for you, your wife, and your dependent children.”
These “necessary” living expenses include:
- Rent or lease or house payment,
- Food,
- Clothing,
- Household supplies,
- Family activities,
- Dry cleaning,
- Personal long-distance calls to family,
- Modest gifts (for example, Christmas, birthdays, or anniversary),
- Utilities,
- Telephones,
- Internet connection,
- Gardening, (employed gardener)
- Repair or replacement of household items,
- Part-time housekeeper,
- Part-time cook,
- One mission automobile assigned exclusively to the mission president,
- Other assigned mission vehicles (used by the wife or licensed dependents for“shopping, taking children to school, or other needs.)
- Automobile insurance, registration and taxes on assigned vehicles,
- Medical expenses (dental, eye care and medically necessary orthodontia),
- One round trip fare for each child under age 26 to visit the parents’ mission,
- Elementary and secondary school expenses for tuition, fees, books, and materials,
- Undergraduate tuition at an accredited college or university,
- Financial support for children serving full-time missions
While most of those sound reasonable, many are seen as taxable, especially in the UK. According to their tax authority, document SA012M from Her Majesty’s Revenue Customs (HMRC) on tax rules for “ministers of religion”:
Ministers are to report as income “fee” and “contractual payments” or any “gift or grants you receive because of your work”. They even ask the minister to declare “salary” or “stipend” in “box 2”. The stipend received by mission presidents makes it clear they are considered employees in the UK, and the amounts paid to them or reimbursed to them as a ‘living allowance’ is a salary. Add to that the cash equivalent of the benefit of housing, cars, medical insurance, college fees, cook, family travel etc. This needs to be “grossed up” and tax and employee national insurance contributions paid on it. Also the church as employer has to pay National Insurance Contributions (like US Social Security payroll tax) on the gross less a “lower earnings limit” at 13.8%. The church had in 2013 5 MPs in the U.K. (they used to have 8 in previous years). This kind of tax evasion has probably been going on for over 30 years. The amounts involved, plus interest and penalties will be in the millions of dollars.
Here then, is an estimate on Mission President “salary”:
Food & Household Supplies £8,000
Clothing £4,000
Family Activities £3,000
Dry Cleaning, Personal long distance phone £1,000
Gifts - Christmas, birthdays, Anniversaries £2,000
Medical Insurance and other medical bills £6,000
Tuition Fees - school and university £3,000
Family Travel (from US) for under 26 y.o. £1,000
Utilities - heating, council tax etc. £4,000
Gardener and Cook £9,000
Mission costs if child serving mission
Term Life Insurance up to $100 per month £800
SubTotal £41,800
House taxable benefit at 4% (on £600K home) = £24,000
Car Benefit £5,000
Total = net pay £70,800
Employee’s NIC = maximum of £4,430
£75 k grossed up = approximately £105,000
Employer’s NIC at 13.8% of excess £13,722
Fraud can be reported, and now has been reported to the UK HMRC at their website. Tom Phillips, who reports that he worked as the financial director for LDS Church corporate entities has said concerning the unpaid taxes on Mission President account reimbursements and stipends:
“ It was discussed at a First Presidency meeting with the Presiding Bishopric and they decided to continue not reporting and pay any fines when, and if, they were discovered. This is blatant tax evasion, a criminal activity in the UK. I never kept any documentary evidence but this hand book would be incriminating for them. “
Tom Phillips, who reports that he worked as the financial director for LDS Church corporate entities has said concerning the unpaid taxes on Mission President account reimbursements and stipends:
“ It was discussed at a First Presidency meeting with the Presiding Bishopric and they decided to continue not reporting and pay any fines when, and if, they were discovered. This is blatant tax evasion, a criminal activity in the UK.