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Post by irvinegrey on Jan 6, 2012 12:14:02 GMT -5
I have been told that homes that host Sunday morning and midweek meetings get a rebate on their rates as it is known in Northern Ireland or Council Tax as it is called in England, Wales and Scotland. This information is unsubstantiated and I am trying to establish if this is true?
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Grief
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Post by Grief on Jan 6, 2012 17:00:59 GMT -5
Parishes pay the Council Tax for their parsonage on behalf of their vicar. The local authority is asked to send Council Tax bills to the parsonage for the attention of the PCC Treasurer. Clergy are asked to pass the bill to their PCC Treasurer as soon as possible. Treasurers are then asked to deal directly with the local authority to arrange payments.
Treasurers are reminded that during an interregnum, a parsonage house being held vacant and unfurnished for a minister of religion is exempt from Council Tax for the duration of the vacancy.
The Board of Finance will continue to pay Council Tax on behalf of stipendiary curates and those sector ministers who qualify for Council Tax payment under the present system. Never heard of the Friends Council Tax being paid for by the Council, although this maybe possible and needs exploring especially during this economic down turn and the friends are feeling the pinch.
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Post by irvinegrey on Jan 6, 2012 17:34:04 GMT -5
Parishes pay the Council Tax for their parsonage on behalf of their vicar. The local authority is asked to send Council Tax bills to the parsonage for the attention of the PCC Treasurer. Clergy are asked to pass the bill to their PCC Treasurer as soon as possible. Treasurers are then asked to deal directly with the local authority to arrange payments. Treasurers are reminded that during an interregnum, a parsonage house being held vacant and unfurnished for a minister of religion is exempt from Council Tax for the duration of the vacancy. The Board of Finance will continue to pay Council Tax on behalf of stipendiary curates and those sector ministers who qualify for Council Tax payment under the present system. Never heard of the Friends Council Tax being paid for by the Council, although this maybe possible and needs exploring especially during this economic down turn and the friends are feeling the pinch. Thanks for this silentnight. It was within a Northern Ireland context that the comment was made so if such an arrangement exists it may be peculiar to Northern Ireland.
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Post by emerald on Jan 6, 2012 18:35:58 GMT -5
I know of a few that host meetings and have never heard it mentioned, either North or South. I am well acquainted with one meeting owner in the south and know for sure, if they were aware of the provision, they never took advantage.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2012 19:25:19 GMT -5
Irvine
I have never heard of such a thing and doubt very much that it is so.
My understanding is that for a rates exemption to apply in Northern Ireland a church must be used for the purposes of public religious worship. I doubt very much that any Cooneyite homes used for Sunday morning/Wednesday night meetings would be deemed to fall within the definition of public religious worship. They are very much private affairs.
I think that the relevant provision regarding exemptions for church buildings in Northern Ireland is Article 41(2)(b) of the Rates Order (Northern Ireland) 1977 which may be worth consulting to satisfy your curiosity.
Of course any interpretation of the law is always open to challange and if you have any substantiated reports that confirm a different position then I would be interested to hear.
Matt10
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Post by irvinegrey on Jan 7, 2012 7:18:53 GMT -5
Thanks Matt this is a helpful response. When visiting Fermanagh on Thursday the comment was made and I thought that it was worth asking the question.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2012 11:52:05 GMT -5
Irve, how about workers staying in a batch in the area they are preaching the gospel? Are they required to pay Council tax or are they exempt?
Also on the same theme. A single person staying in their house is entitled to a 25% reduction on the grounds there are less than two adults in the house. If a worker or workers went to stay with that person for a period of time do they pay the proportion of council tax or are they exempt?
In the case of renting a batch it is the occupants responsibility to pay the council tax. In the case of staying with a solitary householder, it is the householder's responsibility to stump up the full amount.
Are Ministers of Religion exempt from paying council tax and if so, do workers exercise this exemption?
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Post by irvinegrey on Jan 11, 2012 14:55:47 GMT -5
As far as I know in Norhern Ireland it is only the meeting building that does not pay rates (council tax in the rest of the UK) but that the homes of ministers are rateable.
Furthermore Ministers pay tax and national insurance benefits on their incomes and I know a lot of Christian workers who are 'freelance' and live by faith and they too declare gifts they receive and pay tax and national insurance on these.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2012 15:16:31 GMT -5
Just speculating on this. It follows therefore that in GB workers who stay in batches or in the homes of sole occupants for any length of time should either pay council tax or have this paid for them.
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