Leaked Info: Watchtower Received $497 Million From One Country (Britain) In Last Six Years! [Must Watch!] (page 2)

Beth Sarim

The Borganization is after equities and wills.

Big chunk of change.

Air miles and reward points too.

NotFormer

"Also land taxes/council taxes etc, I presume?"

It's going back a long time; I may be under the wrong impression: I think one of the scandals about WT back in the day was that as a religion, they didn't have to pay property taxes on their Brooklyn Heights properties. Not sure if they were exempt from NYC rates/taxes/levies, whatever. Critics saw what everyone here knows: the WT was a tax exempt publishing company.

Having the WT move out of NYC was probably a huge boon to the city and the state. And I doubt that there was any of the sadness that sometimes happens when an old institution moves out of a place. It's not like the WT was a paragon of patriotism, either national or local.

vienne

I don't see this as any sort of scandal. Have you researched the finances of other denominations? Aside from that, what adherents contribute is their own damn business. NOT yours.

vienne

NotF

NO religion in the US pays property tax unless they rent it to a commercial enterprise.

slimboyfat

Not a scandal but it is interesting that Watchtower is sending millions of pounds from the UK to the US at the same time as selling lots of KHs in the UK and telling Witnesses they need to travel further to the next KH. This is when those same Witnesses have paid a lot of money to build their local KH in the first place only to see it sold off. Witnesses in the UK have been told there is a greater need for KHs in Africa, which many Witnesses may be prepared to accept as an explanation why their local KH had to be sold, but is that where the money is really going? Or is it going the US to pay legal and administrative bills?

NotFormer

vienne, the "scandalous" part was probably more related to the sheer size of the WT operation. I remember other religious publishing houses in NYC being whinged about at the time. But it was a long time ago, so details escape me.

And you're right about the thread topic, if a little aggressive: it's private donations by consenting adults. I said as much earlier.

Not quite £500 million over 6 years isn't huge. In researching my response, I found out that £500 million is remitted to Somalia every year by immigrants*. It's always important to maintain a sense of perspective.

* That's just by way of example. It doesn't constitute any social commentary on my part.

TonusOH

Maybe the complaints came at a time when they still charged a cost for the books and magazines they printed? I suppose some people would see it as using their tax-exempt status as a religion to sell books (ie, a business) while not being taxed? In other words, that what they were doing was legal, but immoral?

Wasn't it Rutherford who called religion "a snare and a racket"? He certainly would have known!

ThomasMore

SBF - the money is not going to Africa.

South Korea is also very concerned about the money leaving their country. Other countries are as well. They see an American religion taking advantage of their citizens and moving wealth to their US corporate headquarters, meanwhile giving nothing in return.

Diogenesister

NF I think one of the scandals about WT back in the day was that as a religion, they didn't have to pay property taxes on their Brooklyn Heights properties. Not sure if they were exempt from NYC rates/taxes/levies, whatever. Critics saw what everyone here knows: the WT was a tax exempt publishing company

Interesting. Thank you!

Having the WT move out of NYC was probably a huge boon to the city and the state.

Yes actually didn't think of that, it's certainly a drain on local government and therefore local residents (ie other businesses that big would be paying large sums in taxes).

Have you researched the finances of other denominations?

Vienne, with the exception of cults, you cannot compare Watchtower's opaque and frankly dishonest business model with most religions, who do at least give back to their community and to that of the poor and disadvantaged worldwide.

Watchtower donations are our business when those donating are being deceived (lies at convention's re: deficits ) and stolen from (Kingdom Hall snatches).

Leaked Info: Watchtower Received $497 Million From One Country (Britain) In Last Six Years! [Must Watch!]

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