Eight per thousand
Encyclopedia
Eight per thousand, or otto per mille, is an Italian
law under which Italian taxpayers can choose to whom devolve a compulsory 0.8% ('eight per thousand') from their annual income tax
return between an organized religion
recognised by Italy or, alternatively, to a social assistance scheme run by the Italian State. This declaration is made on the IRPEF form. People are not required to declare a recipient; in that case the law stipulates that this undeclared amount be distributed among the normal recipients of such taxes in proportion to what they have already received from explicit declarations. The Church of Assemblies of God in Italy refuses to benefit from the undeclared portion.
, under the Lateran treaties
of 1929 with the Holy See
, paid a monthly salary
to Catholic
clergymen. This money was meant as a compensation for the nationalization
of Church properties after the unification of Italy. This salary was called the congrua. The eight per thousand law was created as a result of an agreement, in 1984, between the Italian government and the Holy See
.
, the Seventh-day Adventist
s and the Assemblies of God
in Italy
.
In 2000, the Catholic Church raised almost a billion euro
s, while the Italian State received about 100 million euros.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
law under which Italian taxpayers can choose to whom devolve a compulsory 0.8% ('eight per thousand') from their annual income tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
return between an organized religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
recognised by Italy or, alternatively, to a social assistance scheme run by the Italian State. This declaration is made on the IRPEF form. People are not required to declare a recipient; in that case the law stipulates that this undeclared amount be distributed among the normal recipients of such taxes in proportion to what they have already received from explicit declarations. The Church of Assemblies of God in Italy refuses to benefit from the undeclared portion.
History
Originally the Italian government of Benito MussoliniBenito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, under the Lateran treaties
Lateran treaties
The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See, ratified June 7, 1929, ending the "Roman Question"...
of 1929 with the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, paid a monthly salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
to Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
clergymen. This money was meant as a compensation for the nationalization
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of Church properties after the unification of Italy. This salary was called the congrua. The eight per thousand law was created as a result of an agreement, in 1984, between the Italian government and the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
Current situation
The last official statement of Italian Ministry of Finance made in respect of the year 2004 singles out seven beneficiaries: the Italian State, the Catholic Church, the Waldenses, the Jewish Communities, the LutheransLutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, the Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
s and the Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
| Recipient | % of total fund | % Indicated on tax form |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic Church | 87.25% | 34.56% |
| Italian State | 10.28% | 4.07% |
| Waldenses | 1.27% | 0.50% |
| Jewish Communities | 0.42% | 0.16% |
| Lutherans | 0.31% | 0.12% |
| Seventh-day Adventists | 0.27% | 0.10% |
| Assemblies of God in Italy | 0.20% | 0.08% |
| Not indicated or invalid | N/A | 60.4% |
In 2000, the Catholic Church raised almost a billion euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, while the Italian State received about 100 million euros.