According to Campact, the Taxpayers’ Association regularly comments publicly on political decisions. Campact is calling for the non-profit status to be revoked – or a corresponding change in the law.
The campaign organization Campact has complained to tax offices about six state associations of the Taxpayers’ Association. According to the activists, the lobby association is unfairly considered a non-profit organization because it is heavily involved in politics. According to information from Tuesday, Campact wants to use the complaint to initiate a new debate about non-profit law.
Non-profit activities are activities that serve the general public. Organizations that are non-profit include clubs, foundations or institutions. Campact and the globalization-critical network Attac lost their non-profit status a few years ago following a decision by the Federal Finance Court. Without charitable status, donors cannot deduct their donations from taxes. This is a serious blow for the organizations because they are largely financed through donations.
Problem: Political statement
The Federal Finance Court (BFH) had determined that influencing public opinion in its own sense is not charitable as political educational work. Campact now argues that the taxpayers’ association also regularly takes a public position on political decisions “in order to enforce its own positions and demands.” Before the last federal election, the BdSt vehemently called for a waiver of a wealth tax, Campact board member Felix Kolb told the German Press Agency.
The association is of the opinion that the six regional associations of the Taxpayers’ Association (BdSt) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen/Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt should lose their non-profit status. He bases this on a legal report he commissioned on the activities of the BdSt. The six regional associations about which Campact now complained all have the same statutory purpose as Attac and for this reason should be treated in the same way, according to the organization.
Unequal treatment is incomprehensible to Campact
“Campact is not about taking anything away from the taxpayers’ association,” emphasized Kolb. “With our ad we would like to demonstrate the imbalance in the interpretation of non-profit law using the example of a high-reach association.” The unequal treatment of politically active civil society harms organizations that promote human rights, democracy, climate protection and social justice.
Non-profit law should be politically revised. Campact expects a draft law in early 2024. The organization demands that the commitment to basic and human rights, democracy, anti-discrimination, social justice and peace must be recognized as charitable. For example, the legislature must fundamentally allow sports clubs to call for demonstrations against racism.
