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The church contribution is the financial basis of the Diocese of Linz. The church in Upper Austria received 73.5 percent of its income in 2023 from contributions from its members. As a result, almost 102 million euros came into the diocese’s coffers in 2023 – the amount was similarly high in 2024; there are no official figures yet.
In the coming weeks, notices about the church contribution will be arriving in mailboxes all over Upper Austria. Around 620,000 people in the Diocese of Linz are assessed church contributions. On average, each member paid 13 euros per month in 2023. “It’s not a lot of money for most people, but it has a big impact,” says Ursula Schmidinger, head of the church contribution department in the Diocese of Linz.
- Who has to pay a church fee?
Adults who earn an income and are members of the Catholic Church through baptism pay 1.1 percent of their taxable income as a church contribution. “We don’t get any data from the tax office, but rely on people’s help,” says Schmidinger. If there is no proof of income, the church must estimate. People with particularly low income pay a minimum church contribution of 34 euros.
The average Upper Austrian pays around 160 euros a year, says Schmidinger. In addition, the church contribution is tax deductible – the diocese sends the data directly to the tax office. Since last year, up to 600 euros can be deducted from taxes annually (previously: 400 euros).
- More on the topic: Church tax will become more deductible
If you think your own contribution is too high – for example because of your personal life situation – you can contact the contribution office. Financial burdens are taken into account: “All it takes is a call or an email so that we can enter possible discounts,” says Schmidinger. Children, for example, are automatically taken into account as soon as they are registered in the parish. “But we don’t know, for example, whether there are medical costs that we can take into account, whether someone has lost their job or is on maternity leave, whether someone is building a house and therefore has debts or whether children are studying.” Longer-term burdens such as debts can be taken into account in advance for several years. “People don’t have to ask us – we just need to know.” In order to be able to respond to each request individually, the messages will not be sent all at once, but rather over six weeks until mid-March.
- What is the church contribution used for?
“The church is one of the largest employers in the country. The majority of the money therefore goes towards salaries.” Priests, pastoral assistants, family counselors and people who work with children and youth – the fields of activity are wide. The church is active in many segments where other means are not sufficient – “from homeless care to mobile care facilities to telephone counseling.”
13 euros average church contribution per month – this is how the amount is used, for example:
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Source: Nachrichten
