The Tax Man Takes Aim At The World’s Wealthy

Some of the subsidy deals struck generations ago between the Catholic church and governments in predominantly Catholic countries are also being reviewed and, in some cases, changed.

At the end of 2012, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti won EU approval to strip the Catholic Church of its exemption from local taxes on real estate it owns that is used for commercial purposes.

In Spain, officials in one town outside Madrid are poised to send the Catholic Church a property tax bill for the first time.

A city councilman told the The Washington Post, “We want to make a statement that the costs of the crisis should be borne equally by every person and institution.”