Scientology form letter

This page is to be a form letter to your local Federal Member of Parlement regarding the tax free status of the Church of Scientology.

Letter

Firstname Lastname

Street Address

Town/Suburb, State

Dear Name of Representative,

I am contacting you in regards to some serious concerns I have about the Church of Scientology (CoS) in Australia. My understanding is that the CoS enjoys a tax exempt status on the basis that it is a Religous organisation. The law defines a tax exempt religous organisation as 1 belief in a supernatural Being, Thing or Principle; and 2 acceptance and observance of canon of conduct in order to give effect to that belief.

My main concern is that these qualifiers of a taxfree status for religous oganisation are too broad and are easily taken advantage of. I understand that defining a religous organisation to finely can have an adverse effect. However, I would like to see ongoing oversight in the practices that exempt them from tax. My view is that the CoS has taken advantage of the broad definition of a religous organisation for the sole purpose of their financial benefit.

In Chapter 20 of the Report of the Inquiry into the Definition of Charities and Related Organisations of 2001, the Committee's conclusions says: "Organisations that have as their dominant purpose the advancement of religion are for the public benefit because they aim to satisfy the spiritual needs of the community". My understanding is that the CoS requires donations before being able to read the teachings. The CoS does portay itself to be advancing their religion for the benifit of the community.

Moreover, if the community provides the CoS with a tax exempt status, the CoS should be accountable to the community. All of the financial records of the CoS should be available for public scrutiny. The CoS appears to have large sums of money to wage legal battles against information that may show them in their true spirit. The courtcases against the publication of Andrew Morton's book and the attempts to remove a Tom Cruise video are both against the spirit of free speech and appear extremely wasteful when the CoS should be benifiting the community.

More to come.

Thank you,

SIGNATURE

Firstname, Lastname

Ammunition

Please list any information ammunition for this letter. The actual writing can wait. I am looking for information on their tax status and how they got it (litigation), why the CoS was banned in 3 Australian States and then unbanned a few years later, what the requirements are for an organisation to be a tax exempt religion, etc etc. Please hit the government websites and list the info here. This information can then be collated into the actual letter.

Charities Definition Inquiry Final Report

How do I get my hands on this document?

Links

List of Federal Members by Electorate

PDF document with contact details of all Federal Members