Posted by:
Adieu LDS
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Date: October 27, 2022 07:24AM
The Mormons' Books: 9 p.m. on CBC-TV and CBC Gem
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mormon-church-jesus-christ-latter-day-saints-funds-charity-1.6630190At the end of every episode of The Fifth Estate, we ask people to send us their story tips, and many do.
It was one we received earlier this year that led to tonight’s episode examining how the Mormon Church in Canada spends its money.
Like members of some other religions, Mormons pay a portion of their income, called tithing, as part of their commitment to the church.
In Canada, those tithings mean individuals get a tax receipt for their charitable giving.
The man who wrote to us has spent his life in the church and says he always believed the money he paid went to run the church and for charitable work, both in Canada and abroad.
That’s why he thought we ought to know the Mormon Church of Canada was sending millions every year to fund its own university in the United States.
Our research would reveal that over the course of 15 years, the church sent more than $1 billion from Canada to its Brigham Young University, which has three campuses in the United States.
The money move is legal under Canadian tax law, which stipulates that charities may donate to an educational institution abroad if Canadians are students there. Less than two per cent of BYU’s student population is Canadian.
Because of the tax deductions, it means the Canadian treasury didn’t get as much as $280 million.
But it’s not only in Canada where Mormons are asking hard questions about how their church is managing their money.
It has amassed a fortune in countries around the world, leaving some of its members asking whether the church has become more interested in building wealth, rather than spending the money to help the needy.
As we learned, this story reaches beyond members of the church. Because of the tax implications of churches and their money, all Canadians are affected.
We hope you’ll watch the investigation tonight at 9 p.m. on CBC-TV or stream it on CBC Gem.
Timothy Sawa
Producer/director, "The Mormons’ Books"
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2022 07:26AM by Adieu LDS.