Did you know a church tax is imposed on members
of many religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland,
Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and
several other countries? The Roman Catholic Church, Church of
Denmark, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish
Orthodox Church, Protestant, Church of Iceland, Jewish Communities,
Baptist, Buddhist, Hindu, etc. are all included in the tax
collection from their respective members.
The tax was introduced by Hitler in Austria. Oxymoronically, after
World War II, the tax was retained in order to keep the Church
independent of political powers. Typically the tax is usually
between .5% and 2.5%. Some countries even pay the salaries and
retirement benefits of clergy, as well as upkeep for the buildings
and grounds.
Recently many members have been going to their city halls to opt out
of religious groups, which has significant ramifications for
declining taxes.
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