Society Lossing Money, Free Literature to avoid paying Taxes backfires

by frankiespeakin 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  frankiespeakin

  When I was an elder many moons ago, the WT came out with it's free literature change to aviod taxes, before that it was encouraged that all congregations pay for all litterature in stock instead of the WT doing so.

  This no doubt was done to make it more profitable for the WT and in antisipation of a loss in the tax case with Swagert and the state of California of which the WT was envovled.

  This in my estimation was a big blunder as many congregations were not paying enough in contributions to pay for the literature they now recieved free. The case in my congregation I'm sure was typical of congs everywhere as the poorer friends used it as an opportunity to stock up and get some of the more expensive books that would complete thier libraries at home and in the process failed to give the needed contributions for literature.

  In my congregation the CO gave instructions to the lit servant not to get these more exspencive items for those that looked like they wouldn't contribute enough, this put an unecasarry burden on the lit servant to be the bad guy, and he came to me and I told him order anything the friends want and not to deny anybody it is not your responciblity to decide,, let the Society decide if they want to. As I felt this to be wrong and put the MS in the place of judge as to who gets literature and who don't depending on ability to contribute.

  Well it seems years latter now this has been a real source of finacial loss for the WT(yeah!). Cheaper books (paperback), bethel downsizing, and now COs being done away with.

  Yes the friends (JWs) are voting with thier lack meeting attendance and contributions. The decline is steady!!
• 

  Witness 007

  Yeah I remember giving the talk on giving more "donations" for the literature since costs were not covered.....those Bethel workers earn big bucks don't they.
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  Homerovah the Almighty

  but what else can we expect from a bunch of cloistered and in many cases senile old men in Brooklyn, needing their bed pans to be changed frequently?

  Got to remember that one

  Yes the blundering GB dodos are not and have not been officially taught on how to run a business although they have succeeded in raping peoples pockets for decades

  along with their critical thinking abilities, but being that they have sold some of their real estate properties in Brooklyn for hundreds of millions it kind of makes you

  wonder how financially strapped they really are !
• 

  NewYork44M

  The days of making money off literature are over. They know this. This is why you see the quality of books go down, limiting the amount of magazines to one Awake a month and a "short printing" of members only watchtowers.

  This trend will continue. They have to know that the tax consequences of selling literature would make the process a nightmare. Can you imagine the compliance problems they would have if they relied on the r&f to collect tax in the d2d work?

  But, they don't need literature. They have figured out that there is much more money in real estate development and hurricane relief than there ever was in printing magazines.
• 

  JWdaughter

  I wonder how far they can go with this? They rarely offer books at the door anymore, only two meetings a week(most churches I've gone to meet at least 2x a week. The meetings they do have keep getting shorter. Our meetings used to go from 7pm(sharp) to a little after 9pm. That was 2 x a week, and an hour and half on the other. All told, weekly meetings are now going to be just over 3 hours vs. the 5 previously. They can only cancel the Awake and the public WT before they really have nothing but cheap(er) books and no more periodicals. What truths are they preaching? They don't preach at doors. They ask leading questions and give them a flyer!
  
  Some make snide remarks about christian bookstores-ignoring the fact that they actually employ folks with a living wage, contribute to the community, pay taxes and offer up a variety of tools for people to use and CHOOSE from.
• 

  Homerovah the Almighty

  Maybe they should stop going door to door and start selling individual franchises that way the pay taxes get payed

  they can establish a profit margin to make the Corporation grow and everyone will happy its a win win if you ask me

  the folks at the halls wont have to go out in that aggravating service work and you know thats going to make them jump for joy.

  I think I'll write a letter to headquarters and see what they think

  " New World Order Book Store " Yep I can see it now
• 

  NewYork44M

  The fs is there to keep the r&f busy at the cheapest cost possible. This is why there are so many tract campaign.
• 

  Gregor

  I was surprised by how long (decades) they got away with their big Amway scheme. It took awhile but the literature for contributions predicament has gradually put them in the hurts. I would like to believe there are some JWs out their taking $$$ contributions for Books and Bibles at the door and passing on nickels and dimes at the KH. Hey, gasoline ain't free!
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  compound complex

  From Uwishfish's thread "Literature denied for nonpayment: has this occurred on local level?", 24 November 2006:

  Do Individual JWs Pay for the Literature They Distribute?

  www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/113002/1.ashx

  This is a start. I'm still looking--------CoCo

  On Wolfgirl's thread "The Truth About the Donation Arrangement":

  Gill comments on the suspension of future literature deliveries if payment is not made to the Society. My original post re the $3000 was when the new arrangement began and publishers went on a book-ordering spree, as I recall it. The Society continues to attach a $-value to the literature. So the $500 the congregation sent was, in their estimation, a fair donation. I'm still looking for that specific article; it could be at the link I gave you earlier. I didn't have time to seek it out.

  Seek and you shall find,

  Compound-Complex

  Regarding $3000 "worth" of literature------I found it!

  The Free Minds Journal, vol. 20, no. 2, Apr/Jun 2001, p.7, 8

  Why Is It Now So Hard to Obtain Watchtower subscriptions, books and CD-roms?---an alarming shift toward greed

  Major Deception to the Average Witness

  "If the congregation does not submit enough money to cover the value of the books or other materials, they [Society] will actually bill the local congregations for the difference, and if they don't submit the difference, Brooklyn will CUT OFF all literature to that Kingdom Hall."

  Brother Rolando R., literature servant formerly of Jersey City West Congregation, writes: "[the Society] noticed an enormous increase in literature orders. The congregation had made purchases of some $3000.00 and our donations were only somewhere around $500.00. They told us that we [the congregation] owed the Society $2300.00." [sic; actually $2500.00-see below]

  There was no mention in this letter to Randy about being cut off; however, the congregation received two letters in one envelope from Brooklyn. One apprised the BOE of the balance due, the other, addressed to the congregation, stated that the Society was doing a great work and support was needed! Br. R.R. hence announced to the congregation that they were making a $2500.00 donation to the WWW. [the bad WWW!]

  It was fun going through all my FMJs!

  Compound-Complex
• 

  DaCheech

  my kh probably donates $4 USD per publisher per month to the society. I think the average pub uses 10 or more mag a month....do the math? no much huh?

  our congregation account is always negative......

  multiply this x 50,000 congregations and I think the society is loosing big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

  yeah, they're making on real estate and wills, but in 10-15 years when the die-hard old witless phases out, who is really going to donate a will then?