Serbia Questions Whether Church Should be Exempt from Taxes · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

InSerbia reports and adds details to a poll carried out by Serbian daily Blic on whether the Serbian Orthodox Church, whose clergymen have recently been in the media often due to reports of visible overspending, should begin paying taxes. The Serbian Orthodox Church and all other religious institutions are exempt from taxes in Serbia and state tax authorities have never inspected the finances of any registered religious community in the country. These benefits, however, only apply to products and services that serve for religious activities, while the Serbian Orthodox Church is known to have a variety of the most expensive vehicles in the ownership of the Church, used by its officials and employees. In the public poll conducted by Blic in early November 2013, 83% of the respondents said the Serbian Orthodox Church should pay taxes.
Rough estimates, derived from the statements of church dignitaries, indicates that only from VAT on the sale of books and other goods in church stores, as well as profit tax, the Republic budget could be richer for about 10 billion dinars (6.4 million euros/8.5 million dollars).