Berlin Tax Office withdraws charitable status from Nazi victims' organisation

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/11/30/germ-n30.html
Date Written:  2019-11-30
Publisher:  World Socialist Web Site
Year Published:  2019
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX23846

The Berlin Tax Office has withdrawn the charitable status of one of the largest and most long-established anti-fascist associations in Germany jeopardizing its abillity to continue its work.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

Associations with anti-fascist, social or environmental protection goals are often dependent on donations from the population, since they naturally receive little support from the state or large enterprises. Conversely, large companies can deduct lobbying costs from their taxes.

To what extent the work of the VVN can continue cannot be foreseen, the VVN-BdA federal managing director Thomas Willms told the Frankfurter Rundschau. "Those who will be pleased now are the AfD," he said, referring to the far-right Alternative for Germany.

According to Willms, the VVN-BdA will appeal the decision of the Berlin Tax Office. The withdrawal of charitable status means that the association must now pay five-figure tax bills for 2016 and 2017. Willms fears that VAT (sales tax) claims will be added “and the assessments for 2018/2019 are still pending.”