French atheist angry he was subject to German tax that funds Church
March 05, 2015
A French atheist who was baptized a Catholic and recently moved to Berlin has expressed outrage that the German government classified him as a Catholic for tax purposes, leading to the imposition of the 8-10% tax surcharge that funds that the activities of the Church in Germany.
According to Agence France-Presse, when Thomas Bores moved to Berlin in 2013, he stated his religion was “no religion” or “atheist” on official documents. The Archdiocese of Berlin subsequently asked a French diocese whether Bores had a baptismal certificate. The archdiocese then reported that he was a Catholic, leading to the unexpected imposition of the surcharge in Bores’s payroll taxes.
Other French nationals in Berlin have reported similar experiences.
A spokesman for the French bishops stated that French diocesan officials assumed that the inquiry into Bores’s baptismal certificate was made for sacramental purposes such as a wedding and that the information would not have been provided if the purpose of the inquiry had been known.
Bores has requested the removal of his name from French baptismal records and has asked German authorities not to impose the tax on him again, according to the report.
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Further information:
- Berlin Jour 3 – Pourquoi il est urgent de vous faire rayer des listes de baptême en France (Thomas Bores)
- L’Eglise allemande soupçonnée de traquer les baptisés français (AFP)
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