Netherlands Court Disallows Scientology's Tax Exempt Status

[Recusant]

It's not as if the Church of Scientology is trying that hard to hide their money-grubbing ways. I only spent a couple of weeks in the Netherlands, but I don't recall seeing anything like the blatantly commercial television evangelists that plague the US. I wonder how Netherlands courts would view such activities.

"Hague Court Deals Blow to Scientology Tax-Free Status" | NL Times

The Dutch branch of the Church of Scientology has lost its tax status as "public welfare institution", and the tax benefits that go along with it, in a ruling made by the court in The Hague on Wednesday.

The court decided that the sales of the Church's expensive courses and therapy sessions are clearly aimed at making a profit, and thus it does not belong on the tax authorities' charity list.

[Continues . . .]

[OldGit]

Well done the Dutch!

[xSilverPhinx]

Progress! Hopefully it will inspire other countries to do the same.

[Tank]

Excellent news

[Tom62]

We (the Dutch) are still too kind towards Scientology. The justice ministry in Belgium considers Scientology to be a criminal organisation. The trial against Scientology just started over there. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/26/belgian-scientologists-trial-fraud-extortion

[Icarus]

Tax exempt status for any church is subject to question.  Exemptions of a church from fiscal responsibility to the community is an archaic notion.

Just imagine the traffic snarl at, or near, Joel O'Steens mega church. Who pays for the many costs of that kind of congestion that must be supervised by traffic departments, and then there are all those toilets being flushed before and after the sermons, does the church pay appropriately for the services of the sanitation department, the water department, police department,?  Not likely.  In my town it is not even legal to sell dope within a thousand feet of a church.  No such law applies to within a thousand feet of my home..........Oh, I just remembered that I live across the street from a rather large church, so I am legally insulated from dope peddlers.   In any case, special dispensations on behalf of the church are a sore spot with me.