Taxation of Non-Profit Religious Organizations in Ukraine

Lyudmyla Chyzhevska, Svetlana

Abstract

Non-profit organizations are directed in their operations by widely applied legislative actions as ordinary legal bodies, as well as by specific laws in compliance with the category of non-profit field to which they refer. Religious organizations are vital in building civil society to meet its spiritual needs. The goal of the paper is to identify the characteristics of the taxation of non-profit organizations in Ukraine by highlighting the impact of factors in the development of the accounting. The study showed that, unlike other industries, religious organizations do not have a local document on the methodology of accounting for special transactions (income receiving and writing-off of expenses). The income of non-profit religious organizations is used for non-profit (charitable) activities, respectively, the task of accounting for tax calculations is to provide reliable information about the intended use of such funds. This approach involves the conduct of such analytical accounting, which reflects the characteristics of the non-profit organization in accordance with the constituent documents. The results allow us to draw conclusions about the impact of the tax system on the organization of accounting for such special objects in religious organizations as income, expenses and other types of financing from legal entities and individuals. The findings of the report offer an incentive for donors and other interested parties outside Ukraine to consider the tax characteristics religious organizations. The value of this study is gaining knowledge about the impact of the tax system on the organization of accounting in religious organizations for such objects as expenses, income, taxes. Understanding these features will enable to fund and execute programs undertaken by non-profit organizations in Ukraine more effectively.