Should Sectarian Organizations and Soros-funded NGOs Be Taxed While the Armenian Apostolic Church Must Be?

The threats of interfering in the affairs of the Church and bringing it into the tax sphere are shameless attempts, an encroachment by the authorities against the only established, faith-inspiring institution, stated Nairi Sargsyan, the President of the Chamber of Auditors, in an interview with Aysor.am.

He emphasized that, after all, the Constitution states that the Church is separate from the state; therefore, bringing the Church into the tax sphere is not an easy task if we set aside moral questions. "The Church's revenues are primarily formed from donations, meaning even if the authorities achieve success morally and legally, taxation on the Church will not become a significant burden because most of the Church's income is from donations. The authorities might only expect taxes from the sale of liturgical items and candles, which I believe will amount to a small sum," he said.

Sargsyan considers this a false agenda, another attempt to turn public opinion against the Church. "Many do not understand the tax system and are unaware that religious organizations and NGOs do not pay taxes on the donations they receive. Nevertheless, envision a propaganda machine constantly stating that the Church is tax-exempt and wealthy. Ultimately, this propaganda will lead to the public opinion that the Church is rich and does not pay taxes. Meanwhile, this rhetoric overlooks the Soros-funded NGOs and various international organizations that are also exempt from taxes if they receive funds for carrying out their statutory goals. Thus, unless they make a conceptual change, it will turn out that sectarian organizations or NGOs that promote fake democratic values and undermine the foundations of the state in Armenia should not be taxed, while the Armenian Apostolic Church should be taxed. This is a highly dangerous step that will also affect the global reputation of our Church," he added.