Did you know? Billions of Dollars of Canadian Public Funds Go to Religious Organizations?

Did you know that, according to research by Luc Grenon of the Faculty of Law of the Université de Sherbrooke, religious organizations enjoy considerable unjustified fiscal privileges which are not justified by tangible benefits to society?

Some of Professor Grenon’s findings:

  • Of the four categories of charity registered with the Canada Revenue Agency, religious organizations receive the greatest benefit, according to data collected between 1997 and 2010.
  • In 2010, religious organizations received about 40% of charitable donations, resulting in a loss of revenu by the federal state of about 1.08 billion dollars. This does not take into account other tax breaks, such as income and property tax exemptions and partial refund of sales taxes.
  • About half (521 out of 1039) of religious organizations state that they invest 100% of their time and resources in religious activities.
  • Non-religious activities, i.e. those which may be of tangible benefit to society, count for only about 15%.

Reference: Des milliards en fonds publics aux organisations religieuses : charité bien ordonnée? (Billions in Public Funds to Religious Organizations: Is This Money Well Spent?), Robin RENAUD, 2013-10-21.

Significant tax benefits are granted to religious organizations, regardless of confession. Since these benefits are borne by all taxpayers, the social impact of this state funding must be considered, especially when state neutrality in religious matters seems to be a consensus in Canada. Through an analysis of the information returns filed by religious organizations, the writer discusses whether the public funds received can be justified or explained by the services and tangible benefits they provide to society. The writer concludes that the answer should be no.

Analyse des bénéfices publics tangibles offerts par les organisations religieuses (Analysis of Tangible Public Benefits Offered by Religious Organizations), Luc GRENON


2 comments on “Did you know? Billions of Dollars of Canadian Public Funds Go to Religious Organizations?
  1. Jim Atherton says:

    I have never had any doubt that the Christian religion is really just a criminal gang right from the start and of course still is today. It always was really just a tax dodge used by criminals to control ordinary honest people who always saw Christianity for what it really was. Since it’s beginning the gang leaders have branched out into ever kind crime imaginable which of course they continue to get away with today.
    Anyone growing up in a Christian society soon realizes that there is no real choice. Either join the Christian gang of murders and thieves or they will destroy you in every way they possibly can. Christianity is really just another word for legalized murder.

  2. Jim Atherton says:

    This is very important information because it puts facts and figures on what many people have suspected without seeing actual proof before. There is a general understanding among Canadians that religious institutions are not required to pay taxes but here are the actual amounts involved. I believe religious organizations should be required to meet the same legal test as all other Canadian Charities, without the exception as outlined on CPC-016 by the Canadian Revenue Agency. As things stand now religious organizations are really just tax evasion schemes. Instead of having to go to off shore tax havens to cheat Canadian taxpayers the crooks can do it right here at home.

Leave a Reply to Jim Atherton Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*