Representatives of different faiths comment on the adoption of the new Federal Law, which supplemented the Tax Code with the chapter “Property Tax of Organizations”

The first deputy head of the DECR MP, Archbishop Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, commented on the ITAR-TASS news agency on the situation that arose after the adoption by the State Duma on October 17 of the Federal Law, which supplemented the Tax Code of the Russian Federation with the chapter “Property Tax of Organizations” (see the text of the bill prepared for the third reading October 20). According to the new law, only the property of religious organizations that is used by them directly for religious purposes (for example, temples, chapels, icons, church utensils) is exempt from taxes. Meanwhile, the current law “On Enterprise Property Tax” provides for exemption from taxation of all property of religious organizations.

According to Archbishop Clement, “the law does not meet the interests of the Church and can cause serious harm to its social programs... will hit, first of all, the social component of the Church’s activities and will lead to a significant limitation of the ability of religious organizations to engage in charitable and educational activities.” The DECR MP representative emphasized that “the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional Russian religious organizations will not be able to develop normally in conditions when taxes will be imposed on all their property, except for religious objects. Monastic property intended for conducting economic activities will also be taxed. including subsidiary farms, agricultural machinery and implements. It is not taken into account that the products received from this activity go exclusively to the maintenance of the monastery itself, numerous pilgrims, assistance to the poor, and the development of social programs."

Archbishop Clement also said that the Patriarch personally addressed the Chairman of the State Duma G.N. Seleznev with a request to maintain the previous taxation procedure for religious organizations, but received no response.

When asked by an ITAR-TASS correspondent about the possibility of solving the problem by turning to regional authorities with a request to provide tax benefits to religious organizations, Archbishop Kliment answered: “Unlikely. Local authorities always refer to the position of the federal authorities. Therefore, in many regions, religious organizations are unlikely to it will be possible to persuade the local authorities to provide tax breaks. The more problems there are in the region, the greater the temptation to tax everything possible in order to replenish your budget. As a result, the further development of social and charitable activities of religious organizations will largely depend on one or another regional official. ".

On October 27, the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations of Russia (KEROOR) issued a statement regarding the amendments adopted by the Duma. The statement, in particular, says that the adopted bill “significantly narrows the ability of religious organizations to engage in charity and social service.” KEROOR appealed to the president and legislative authorities with a request to maintain the previous taxation procedure for religious organizations.

The Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia made a statement regarding the adopted additions to the Tax Code. According to the Central Spiritual Society of Muslims, the amendments could cause “great harm to the activities of all religious organizations in Russia and will make their charitable, social and educational activities practically impossible.”

On October 28, a group of bishops, governors and abbots of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the president on the same issue. The appeal , in particular, states that amendments to the Tax Code “directly or indirectly undermine the economic ability of the Church to effectively serve society.” The essence of the problem, according to those who signed the message, is that “some government officials do not want to understand that the Church and other religious organizations are non-profit and non-profit.”

If the amendments to the Tax Code adopted in the first reading are approved, “the Church will have to curtail many of its socially significant programs, since the buildings and property of almshouses, children’s holiday camps, shelters, nurseries, houses for pilgrims, social institutions for children left without parental care, and the like, according to the intention of the legislator, will have to be taxed."

The appeal also contains a request to preserve the current taxation procedure for religious organizations.

On October 29, the Federation Council approved the introduction of the mentioned amendments to the Tax Code.

Patriarch Alexy II spoke about the proposed changes in the Tax Code, speaking at the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, where the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was awarded an honorary doctorate from the academy.

The Patriarch called on the authorities to eliminate the unfair, in his opinion, taxation procedure, which deprives Orthodox communities of the opportunity to maintain social institutions. “We are not asking the state to help us maintain shelters and almshouses,” said Alexy II. “But in order for such activities to be carried out normally, we ask to return to a practice where all church activities - both religious and social - were not taxed.”

On February 10, 2004, during the round table “Social partnership of the state and traditional religious organizations of Russia” held in the Central House of Journalists, the amendments to the tax law that came into force at the beginning of the year were again touched upon, reports “ Religion and Media ” with reference to RIA Novosti ". The secretary for relations between the Church and society of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, priest Mikhail Dudko, said that these amendments “strangle any social initiative of the Church.” “If this law is not changed and religious organizations continue to be approached as commercial organizations, then the Church will not be able to meet the expectations of politicians in social service to its people,” the priest believes.

Sources

• Commentary by Archbishop of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment, First Deputy of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate to the ITAR-TASS news agency on the situation surrounding the adopted Federal Law, which supplemented the Tax Code with the chapter “Property Tax of Organizations” // DECR MP Communication Service. 2003. October 22.
• Statement of the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations of Russia (KEROOR) dated October 27, 2003 // State and religion in Russia. 2003. October 27.
• Statement of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia on additions to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation // TsDUM of Russia. 2003. October 27.
• A LARGE GROUP OF BISHOPS OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, VIECTORS AND ABOVES OF ORTHODOX MONASTERIES APPLIED A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA V.V. PUTIN // Communication Service DECR MP. 2003. October 28.
• The Federation Council approved amendments to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation // Sedmitsa.ru. 2003. October 30.
• Draft Federal Law "On introducing an amendment to part two of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and introducing amendments and additions to Article 20 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On the Fundamentals of the Tax System in the Russian Federation", as well as on invalidating acts of legislation of the Russian Federation regarding taxes and fees "(to the third reading). Introduced by the conciliation commission (10.20.2003). Project No. 323840-3 // State and religion in Russia. 2003. November 3.
• K. Vasilenko. Patriarch in the civil service // Time for news. 2003. November 21.
• The tax law “strangles any social initiative of the Church” - a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate // Religion and Media. 2004. February 11.