“Nigerians please come to my side Lagos state government officials seized my Cylinders, Pot and other tools” - Nigerian man who sell Akara by the roadside cries out.
Adeboye and Oyedepo church no rich pass catholic church. Catholic church rich no be small. They even have countless universities in Africa and other continents in the world.
Wow the new Pope is cashing out big here. The richest Christian cleric in Africa, Bishop Oyedepo of Winners Chapel no cash out reach this new America born Pope Leo Xiv. The $33k is equivalent to #52m in Nigeria currency. There's big money in catholic church. Meanwhile, check out the secret of pope
Pope Leo XIV may face a six-figure tax bill for his $33,000-a-month paycheck
As an American citizen, Pope Leo XIV could be required to file a tax return with the U.S. government, and his tax liability may reach six figures. Because the U.S. taxes its citizens on their worldwide income, Leo will need to file a return, with some additional details based on the bank accounts he controls as head of the Vatican, unless the U.S. makes an exception for him or he renounces his citizenship, experts said.
One of the first things Pope Leo XIV may need to do as the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church has nothing to do with religion, but rather finances: finding an accountant.
The U.S. is one of only a handful of countries that taxes citizens living abroad. Thus, thanks to his American passport, the 69-year-old Chicago-born pope, known until last week as Robert Prevost, will likely need to file a tax return to the U.S. government just like any other citizen, experts told Fortune.
As pope, Leo XIV is entitled to a salary of 30,000 euros, or about $33,000 per month, which puts his annual earnings at about $396,000 per year. Unless given an exception, the first American pontiff may have an estimated tax liability of $135,287, which includes both federal and self-employment tax, based on his salary, Washington-based accountant Hector Castaneda told Fortune.
Edward A. David, an assistant professor in the department of theology and religious studies at King’s College London, told the Washington Post it’s hard to know whether the U.S. will insist on collecting the pope’s tax return, and it’s possible the government could exempt him. Still, Timothy Fogarty, an accounting professor at Case Western Reserve University, told Fortune it’s likely the pope would not be exempt.
“Although there is no accounting for the discretion that might be brought to bear, the new pope is unlikely to be exempt from U.S. income taxes. U.S. tax law claims the right to tax all citizens on their worldwide income. There is no blanket exception for religious personnel nor for people who are diplomats/head of state for foreign countries such as the Vatican,” said Fogarty.
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to Fortune’s question on whether the pope could receive an exemption.
From 2015 to 2023, Leo XIV served as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, where he likely already dealt with the far-reaching U.S. tax system. Yet, because of his higher salary, should he accept it, and his control over Vatican financial accounts, filing a tax return may be more complicated than ever.
Filing a tax return is obligatory for all citizens, and if the laws were applied as they would be for every other citizen, Leo XIV may face a hefty tax bill.
“No matter where a religious leader is based, they still have to pay U.S. taxes on their income if they keep their U.S. citizenship,” Castaneda said.
A spokesperson for the IRS declined to comment to Fortune about Pope Francis’ tax liability.
“By law, federal employees are barred from disclosing tax return information,” the spokesperson said.
Still, the pope may have some, but not many, options for reducing his tax bill, Linda Jensen, the founder of Heart Financial Group, told Fortune.
Apart from the $14,600 standard deduction, Leo may be eligible to deduct costs associated with his housing if he receives an allowance or lives in Vatican-provided housing like the papal apartments or the deceased Pope Francis’ preferred residency, Casa Santa Marta.
The IRS allows religious leaders to deduct the lesser of an official housing allowance, actual housing expenses, or the fair rental value of the home (including furnishings and utilities), from their tax bill, said Jensen.
Members of the clergy are considered self-employed for the purposes of Social Security and Medicare taxes, Jensen said, but if Pope Leo previously claimed a conscientious religious objection to public insurance early in his career, he may be off the hook for those taxes.
Usually, Americans who earn money abroad are able to deduct $130,000 of foreign earned income, but it’s doubtful this would apply to Leo XIV as the rule excludes income earned from a foreign government, like the Vatican.
Pope Leo XIV’s American citizenship may have also inadvertently brought a major financial complication to the Vatican. Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which was aimed at cracking down on offshore tax evasion, the Vatican is required to report to the IRS the details of Americans’ bank and brokerage accounts, which in theory would include Leo XIV’s accounts, said Jensen. Because of his authority over offshore accounts as head of the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV may also need to file a form 8938 with the IRS.
Finally, U.S. citizens with “signature authority,” or ultimate control of a bank account containing more than $10,000, also have to file a Foreign Bank Account Report to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Unit. As of 2023, the Vatican Bank had holdings of $6.1 billion.
“As a U.S. citizen abroad with significant foreign ties, he has complex reporting obligations. Even the Pope might need a great CPA,” said Jensen.
REWIND: In 2016, new Pope Leo visited Nigeria by Claire Mom
Robert Prevost (in black) in Nigeria in 2016 facebook sharing buttontwitter sharing buttonemail sharing buttonsharethis sharing buttonwhatsapp sharing button Long before he was elected pope of the Catholic Church, Robert Prevost touched down on Nigerian soil in 2016.
Now known as Pope Leo XIV, the new American pontiff visited Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, almost a decade ago as part of his duties as an Augustinian leader, engaging with members of the order and the broader Catholic community.
A photo posted on his X account showed him posing with Catholic leaders — some believed to have accompanied him from abroad, while others were Nigerian clergy dressed in black and white cassocks.
“For the first time, General Chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on the African continent — Abuja, Nigeria,” the post which was translated from Spanish to English, reads.
The photo was dated September 29, 2016.
At the time, Leo was Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
Robert Prevost (middle with the Rosary chain) with Augustinian fellows in Abuja Leo is a prominent member of the Order of St. Augustine, a Catholic religious order with a history dating back to the 13th century.
The Order emphasises community life, interior search for God, and service to others, following in the footsteps of St. Augustine, who harped on unity of mind and heart for the glory of God.
Before he was made bishop, Prevost served as Provincial of the Augustinian Province in Chicago from 1999-2001, and later served two terms as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001-2013.
The last papal visit to Nigeria was by Pope John Paul II in 1998, who also visited the country in 1982.
Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, limited his African trips to Kenya, Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu congratulated Leo on his election as the Bishop of Rome.
Tinubu, who rejoiced with Nigerian Catholics, said the new pope’s message of faith and hope resonates across the globe.
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