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The business, if you will, of virtually all religions are exempt.

Their workers, clergy, and constituents aren't, (nor is unrelated business income), of course.

Why would they be?

A LITTLE MORE

The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, as a religious organization remains tax exempt in most countries, as other religions are. There may be some countries where taxes are imposed, and Jehovah's Witnesses comply with local tax authorities in such cases.

We have no paid clergy or church leaders. All ministers' work is voluntary, including the door-to-door activity that we are well known for. Therefore, in most cases, each minister must support himself or herself financially through some form of secular employment. Each one of JW's must individually be responsible for their own obligations of paying taxes to the authorities for whatever income or property they may be taxed on.

We are continually reminded at our congregation meetings that we are accountable before GOD himself to honestly pay our taxes as required by the government under which we live.

Answer:

I've heard that in Canada, for about ten to fifteen years now the Witnesses travelling elders and those staying at the Watchtower offices have declared vows of poverty the same as the priesthood of other churches and are tax exempt. This is only for a privileged upper hierarchy and is not available to local elders and rank and file witnesses. Could they have kept this quiet because they sign the government forms as clergymen while they tell those who question it that this is more like being poor "monks" because they do not have clergy in their church? So one could ask if either the government is being mislead or the church goers are? This seeming twisting of the truth when it's financially advantageous or otherwise beneficial is a good question to raise with their travelling "non-clergy".

Reading the above, I suspect it is a confusion as to terms...and that again the people, any of the people, of a tax exempt entity are not themselves tax exempt.

And a prime indicator there wouldn't even be any need for those mentioned to be so: A monk, JW priest, or just unlucky person...who is in poverty and has no (or very limited) income and wealth, with others providing for them...l..pays no tax, exempt or not.

No! They pay taxes and are obligated to be honest in their tax preparation. In Jesus time, in an attempt to "trick" him into saying something to prove he was trying to subvert the Roman gov't ( a new gov't at the time that he lived) they asked Jesus if his followers should pay taxes. Jesus reply was, "Pay Caeser's things to Caesar but pay god's things to God." Jesus was in fact charged with sedition, but this statement that they prompted him to make, provided no proof of that charge.

We must pay taxes as a law abiding citizen, the question has arisen as to why we pay taxes even though we don't support the way much of it is spent. However, the way taxes are appropriated is the responsibility of the gov't not the witness, and the witness need not feel guilty for supporting efforts that displease Jehovah, ie war, expansion of the military, subsidized abortions etc. When are direct actions are in conflict with Jehovah, is joining the serive, this is when the Witness would choose not to obey a governmental authority.

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11y ago
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12y ago

While the Christian faiths registered with the IRs as religious non-profits do not as a church have to pay taxes, the individual Christians of these faiths do. Thus the Witnesses, like all Christians, have to "render to Caesar"!

Yes, we do.

"For that is why you are also paying taxes; for they are God's public servants constantly serving this very purpose. Render to all their dues, to him who calls for the tax, the tax; to him who calls for the tribute, the tribute; to him who calls for fear, such fear; to him who calls for honor, such honor." - Romans 13:6, 7.

"Tell us, therefore, What do you think? Is it lawful to pay head tax to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: "Why do you put me to the test, hypocrites? Show me the head tax coin." They brought him a de·nar´i·us. And he said to them: "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said: "Caesar's." Then he said to them: "Pay back, therefore, Caesar's things to Caesar, but God's things to God." - Matthew 22:17-21.

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13y ago

No, Jehovah's Witnesses are not paid for their bible education work, they volunteer to preach the gospel and help people free of charge.

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13y ago

Yes.

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Q: Are Jehovah's Witnesses tax exempt
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