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EU questions Catholic tax breaks

September 4, 2007

The Pope is still working on his encyclical regarding the evils of tax evasion (blogged here). Meanwhile, the European Commission has asked the Italian government to explain a tax break it provides the Catholic Church.

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Since 2005, the Church has received a property tax exemption for buildings that house various operations. In Rome alone, the count is 18 hospitals, 55 clinics and 250 schools.

European Union officials say the tax relief may break EU rules on state subsidies by giving an unfair advantage over rivals.

The Church’s estimated tax savings? £680 million British pounds. That’s $1.37 billion in U.S. dollars, according to OANDA.com currency conversion
rates as of Sept. 4.

The European Commission revealed last week that it has been asking the Italian government for information on the tax advantages it provides the Catholic Church. There now are indications, according to various news reports, that the Church is willing to give up some of the breaks.

Details on the EU inquiry and subsequent debate it has generated in Italy can be found in articles in the International Herald Tribune, Christian Today and EUbusiness.com.

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Comments
  • AdriaNnLA

    Who wrote this?
    You should always double-check your calculations before submitting (be it tax forms or blog post)!
    Didn’t 1.37 TRILLION seem just a bit much???
    Try 1.37 Billion – yep, still a Big number, but with what? Three fewer trailing zeros?

  • My very, very bad! I typed in the three extra zeros in the conversion calculator, so I have billions in Pounds converting to dollars, which is where I got the TRillion. But I should have caught it. No more nearly 2 a.m. posting for me! Or at least triple checking when I do!

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