Montreal is taxing churches
June 23, 2018 at 8:19 am
(This post was last modified: June 23, 2018 at 8:19 am by Silver.)
The news is a month old, but I don't remember seeing it until now.
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/no-more-reli...-1.3415164
Quote:Churches in Montreal are becoming concerned about hosting community groups after being hit with bills for municipal taxes.
Joel Coppetiers, the Minister at the Cote des Neiges Presbyterian church, was shocked when his institution first received a municipal tax bill in early 2015.
It was "the first indication that something had changed," said Coppetiers.
Provincial law exempts churches and manses from paying municipal taxes but Coppetiers was told that if a manse is vacant for several months between ministers, it's taxable.
Following that, city officials arrived for an inspection of every room in the church and how they were used.
"The indication is there's not an exemption for the church as a whole, there's only an exemption for those areas used for public worship and things directly related to it," said Coppetiers.
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/no-more-reli...-1.3415164