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ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT REVIEWS BILLS TO EXEMPT CHURCH FROM PAYING TAXES
Grisha Balasanyan
hetq
15:36, October 27, 2011
This week the Armenian National Assembly focused on a number of
draft bills designed to exempt the Armenian Apostolic Church from
paying taxes.
According to the bills, the Church would be granted an exemption from
compiling an property inventory of churches that it owns but which do
not have the status of a cultural monument, as well as buildings and
other structures operated for the production and sale of as spiritual,
cultural, educational and church related items.
We have obtained a list of such property that belongs to the Church but
that are not registered as "possessing any historical-cultural value".
It includes 20 residential homes, 35 apartments, 4 forest-parks
(one of which is located in Etchmiadzin and encompasses 3 hectares),
2 restaurants and 4 villas.
One of the villas is located at 1 Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan. We
visited the site and found no one living inside. Neighbors we spoke
to said that the gate is mostly closed and they hardly see anyone
coming or going.
The Church also seeks to be exempted from taxes on 4 pasturelands
ranging from 3.15 to 7.39 hectares.
The list also includes 1 garage, 1 livestock pen and 3 pension homes
and health resorts.
The parking garage is operated by the Church on a profit basis.
Yesterday, in a press briefing with reporters, Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan stated that stores, restaurants and similar structures would
not be included in the list for exemptions.
Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan told Hetq that the Church would
only be exempted from paying property and land taxes on structures
operating adjacent to churches - museums, seminaries and book stores.
Grisha Balasanyan
hetq
15:36, October 27, 2011
This week the Armenian National Assembly focused on a number of
draft bills designed to exempt the Armenian Apostolic Church from
paying taxes.
According to the bills, the Church would be granted an exemption from
compiling an property inventory of churches that it owns but which do
not have the status of a cultural monument, as well as buildings and
other structures operated for the production and sale of as spiritual,
cultural, educational and church related items.
We have obtained a list of such property that belongs to the Church but
that are not registered as "possessing any historical-cultural value".
It includes 20 residential homes, 35 apartments, 4 forest-parks
(one of which is located in Etchmiadzin and encompasses 3 hectares),
2 restaurants and 4 villas.
One of the villas is located at 1 Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan. We
visited the site and found no one living inside. Neighbors we spoke
to said that the gate is mostly closed and they hardly see anyone
coming or going.
The Church also seeks to be exempted from taxes on 4 pasturelands
ranging from 3.15 to 7.39 hectares.
The list also includes 1 garage, 1 livestock pen and 3 pension homes
and health resorts.
The parking garage is operated by the Church on a profit basis.
Yesterday, in a press briefing with reporters, Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan stated that stores, restaurants and similar structures would
not be included in the list for exemptions.
Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan told Hetq that the Church would
only be exempted from paying property and land taxes on structures
operating adjacent to churches - museums, seminaries and book stores.