Since the Bundesfinanzhof Attac the non-profit status revoked, are alarmed many organizations. They fear that they too could meet a similar fate. Is well-founded concern?
This judgment hit like a bomb: a week Ago, the Federal Finance court has deprived of the globalization-critical Attac network, the non-profit status. Since then, unrest in a number of Associations and civil society organisations – particularly those that operate also politically. Because of The use of a General political demands to the policy and conducted campaigns were not considered to be a non-profit, was the verdict of the highest German financial court.
Some Union politicians are not to speak well DUH, managing Director of the Resch.
politician of the Union, felt by this ruling, apparently, encouraged and reinforced immediately afterwards, their attacks on the German environmental aid (DUH). The CDU had already decided on their Federal Congress in December , to the charitable status of the DUH. The Parliamentary Manager of the CSU land group, Stefan Müller, described the DUH in the media as “a warning notice under the guise of climate protection” and called for stricter rules to prevent “abuse as in the case of environmental aid”.
The suspicions of such Statements in the space, has it all: To be made disabled-critical, politically inconvenient organizations in their work, even silenced? Who could be next in the crosshairs: Greenpeace? Campact? Amnesty International?
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The Alliance of “legal certainty for political will on the fears of education” e. V., that thousands of clubs and organizations could be affected. The Association is a coalition of more than 80 politically active Associations and foundations, including Attac. The Board of management, Stefan Diefenbach-Trommer, sees a Trend to “restrict the space for civil society Engagement” – worldwide and also in Germany.
The passing alone the fact that many clubs are now confused. “A lot of questions: Should we allow this or that Expression, dear? We should not call for anti-racism demo?”, Diefenbach-Trommer says. For many small organisations the Status of public benefit is a question of existence. If you were to lose him, might not supporters to deduct donations from the tax and they were no longer exempt from corporate income tax.
there is No reason for alarmism?
An alarmism that was not appropriate, says Rainer Hüttemann, an expert in tax and charity law from the University of Bonn. The Attac-judgment contained in the principle is not a new statement. “It’s in the core of the matter is that the pursuit of political purposes is not included in the current catalog of charitable status,” says hut man, in conversation with tagesschau.de. “Who wants to be first and foremost politically, in the field of non-profit status is wrong.”
