The press service of the Romanian Patriarchate issued a statement in response to media reports accusing the Orthodox Church of a privileged position and non-payment of taxes, while at the same time benefiting from significant state aid coming from taxpayers. The Romanian Church responds that these allegations are untrue and that it pays all taxes and fees for religious organizations provided for by law. It is also reported that for 2024 the Church has allocated 73 million euros for social activities, which does not include the charitable work of parishes and monasteries at the local level. Increasing its taxes would negatively affect the Church’s ability to fulfill its social mission. More specifically, the press service statement reads:
“In relation to materials that have recently appeared in the media, which wrongly suggest that the Romanian Orthodox Church does not pay taxes or benefits from unjustified privileges, the Romanian Patriarchate makes the following clarifications in order to correctly inform public opinion:
The Romanian Orthodox Church, as well as any other religious cult recognized in Romania, pays taxes in accordance with the current legislation, including tax on buildings and land used for business activities, tax on salary income and other due fees, in accordance with the Tax Code and the rules applicable to religious cults.
Regarding the National Cathedral – from the beginning of its construction until today, all taxes and fiscal contributions related to the payment of labor to workers at the construction site of the cathedral complex have been paid, as well as the corresponding VAT rates on the construction materials used – amounts that are returned to the Romanian state through the usual fiscal mechanism.
The exemption from Taxation of buildings designated as temples and belonging to officially recognized religious cults is provided for by law and exists in most democratic countries, with the aim of facilitating the public service that the Church provides to the community.
The Romanian Orthodox Church is one of the most significant social benefactors in Romania. In 2024, the Church invested nearly 73 million euros in social and charitable activities, supporting 867 social institutions and services, which directly benefited over 363,000 people through various material and humanitarian support programs.
These philanthropic contributions do not include the many activities carried out by parishes and monasteries at the local level in support of vulnerable people – such as food, clothing, assistance to poor families, the elderly, the sick or the disabled. Although not financially accounted for at the central level, these activities constitute a permanent reality of the Church’s social ministry. Through the social and philanthropic assistance network, managed by the Association “Philanthropy” – the non-governmental organization of the Romanian Patriarchate, implements projects to assist the elderly, the homeless, families in difficulty, maternity and family centers, social kitchens, palliative care and social reintegration services, as well as special programs for people with complex social needs.
Therefore, the Romanian Orthodox Church pays taxes and fees, like any other recognized religious cult in Romania, while remaining the largest philanthropist in Romanian society through the socio-philanthropic programs implemented annually and through the funds invested directly from the own contributions of the faithful and from funds intended for social service. This socio-philanthropic activity would be really and negatively affected by the increase or introduction of additional taxes and fees, as the final beneficiaries of the social assistance programs would be the direct victims.
“Simplified statements about how much “the state could receive” if certain temples were taxed differently ignore the current legal framework and the real social role of recognized religious cults. The Romanian Orthodox Church reaffirms its commitment to contribute responsibly and transparently to the well-being of Romanian society, in accordance with the spirit of the law and the values of the Christian faith.”
