Senator asks Haddad for a solution for tax exemption for religious leaders

The leader of the evangelical bench in the Senate, senator Carlos Viana (Podemos-MG), reported this Thursday (18) that he spoke with the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, about the Federal Revenue’s decision to annul the rule that differentiated the value received by religious leaders as a pastoral prebend and direct remuneration.

According to Viana, “it was agreed [com o ministro Haddad] that the Evangelical Bench and representatives of the ministry and the Federal Revenue will form a working group to evaluate and define all necessary measures to maintain the exemption of churches”.

The senator also informed that the Secretary of Revenue, Robinson Barreirinhas, who suspended the rule, will receive some representatives from churches and the bench for a first meeting, this Friday (19).

“Our expectation is that, with dialogue, the issue of exemption will be definitively resolved. In my opinion, it is the most transparent way for the Lula government to prove that it does not want to persecute the churches”, says the senator.

Repercussion of the case

The Federal Revenue justified the decision to suspend the act based on a determination by the Public Ministry at the Federal Audit Court (MPTCU). However, after the decision was released, the TCU released a clarification note that refutes the Federal Revenue Service. According to the statement, the act in question is still subject to analysis and there has been no decision on the measure by the body.

The Evangelical Parliamentary Front countered the suspension of the act and issued a statement classifying the statements of tax exemption given by Bolsonaro as false. “There has never been such an exemption for any minister of worship in any government”, says a note from the evangelical group.

Pastors usually receive the so-called “pastoral prebend”, financial remuneration granted for dedication to the Ministry, which is not considered direct remuneration and, therefore, is exempt from social security contributions in accordance with Law 8.212.91.

However, there are religious leaders who perform other types of functions, such as administrative activities, or teaching classes in seminaries or confessional schools. These are registered as CLT and have direct remuneration, therefore they are not exempt from social security contributions.

Experts denied the People’s Gazette the “narrative” of tax exemption for pastors in the Bolsonaro government. Even now, with the extinction of the declaratory act, the amount spent by religious entities to support pastors and priests continues to be exempt from social security contributions, since the exemption is a law in force, which has not been repealed.