Quote
The Anticult
SGI-USA seems to be also worth many hundreds of millions of dollars in property.
Or is it billions?
________QUOTE_______________
[www.culthelp.info]
Three Conditions for Religious Corporate Tax Exemption
SGI-USA (Soka Gakkai International-United States of America), Soka Gakkai's American religious corporation, owns vast real estate around Los Angeles. We reported about this fact in our previous issue, but since most of the property purchased is owned by a religious corporation, no fixed asset taxes are assessed.
"American religious corporations, the same as in Japan, receive preferential treatment from the standpoint of tax laws. But in Japan, if a group possesses the qualifications to be a religious corporation, then no taxes are assessed unconditionally. That's different from America, where, even if religious corporate status is granted, they are not given tax exempt privileges unless a tax exempt petition is submitted to the local and state tax authorities and an audit is passed. Three prerequisites for tax exemption are stipulated in Article 501 of the City Tax Code.
The first is, political activities and political donations are forbidden. The second is, excessive for-profit enterprises are forbidden. And the third is, the privatization of the religious group's assets by the head or the leaders is forbidden. If these regulations are violated, tax exempt privileges are not given."(International Business Law Professor Ishimura of Asahi University)
I flew to Los Angeles and received from many former SGI-USA leaders detailed testimony concerning the reality of the Soka Gakkai's overseas assets and overseas activities, which up to now have remained largely unrevealed. According to their testimony, there are suspicions about whether the SGI-USA is in violation of two of the three conditions which must be met to receive tax exempt status.
Among those former leaders, former SGI-USA Chapter Chief, James Eagleton points out the privatization of the religious group. "At the Malibu Training Center, there's a house for Ikeda that we members are never allowed to enter. We are allowed to enter only the training center itself. The house is a private building which is used only when Ikeda comes to Los Angeles, and it's shrouded in a veil of secrecy."
_________________QUOTE_____________________
Quote
tsukimoto
Everything Depends on Money"
Along with the Ikeda house, SGI-USA's political contributions have also become problematic in terms of tax laws. A number of local mass media offices report that the SGI-USA sent large political contributions to the mayor of Los Angeles.
As stated in the Los Angeles Times (paraphrased), despite the fact that as a tax exempt religious organization they are prohibited from making political contributions, Nichiren Shoshu of America (NSA)...in 1985 and 1986 twice gave Mr. Bradley (Editor's note: The former L.A. mayor from 1973-93) a total of $16,700 for his election fund. This is made clear by any number of articles. (11/17/91 Los Angeles Times)