Dutch Witches Get Tax Break for Studies

[NVMojo]

well, I guess if the US feds give churches federal grants now, why not?

APPELSCHA, Netherlands (AP) -- Dutch witches are getting a tax break. A court has ruled that the cost of witchcraft lessons can be taken as a tax deduction.

Learning to cast spells and brew potions doesn't come cheap. Margarita Rongen runs the "Witches Homestead" in a northern province. Her witchcraft workshops cost more than $200 a weekend or more than $2,600 for a full course.

Rongen says she been a witch for 38 years and has a duty to pass along her knowledge. She notes her black cauldron and crystal ball stand at the ready for the next full moon.

Cobwebs cling from the wooden rafters. Dusty shelves are cluttered with glass jars of home-brewed potions, dried herbs and stone amulets. An oil cooker and a black cauldron sit in the corner, ready for the next full moon. This isn't a Halloween party, it's Margarita Rongen's year-round workshop and she is a witch - according to her tax return.

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NETHERLANDS_WITCHS_TAX_BREAK?SITE=NVLAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[musette_sf]

1. I've been switching to the local Jeebus station

during the interminably long commercial breaks on Air America, just for laffs. They have been on it about "witches" and Wicca for the past week, for the obvious reason and season.

On Fitzmas afternoon, I almost bust a gut when I switched from Randi En Fuego, to KJHC (not real call letters). None other than convicted felon and co-conspirator Chuckie Colson was holding forth about (booga booga booga) WITCHCRAFT.

A good omen for current events, methinks.

[nickyt]

2. Cool!

[UncleSepp]

3. Well - why not?

It makes sense. A person can get a tax break for vocational training. If that person's vocation is being a witch, then they get the tax break same as someone who got training to do massage therapy, create tattoos, or play the accordion. If there are people who want to pay someone for a massage, a tattoo, a polka or a magic potion, then they're all valid jobs and the training is valid. Whether the massage helps, the tattoo is attractive, the polka sounds nice or the potion works is in the judgment of the consumer who pays for the service, not the state.

[LeftyMom]

4. Or to do weddings

My mother's paying out the nose to get some witch to come do her wedding tonight. (Mom is such a dork.)

[Der Blaue Engel]

14. How does that make your mom a dork?

I had two witches officiate at my wedding/handfasting. :)

[LeftyMom]

15. Because it's not a particulary auspicious day for a wedding

so either she didn't read up (possible) or just thought having witches do her wedding on Halloween woud be cool (probable, knowing my mother.)

It was fun, though. :)

[alkaline9]

5. i wonder if "training" is tax deductible in the red light dist? nt

[UncleSepp]

12. Maybe so - some of that requires special skills

Paid job training about needed skills - whether health education or the proper use of a flail - would seem like they should be covered, too.

[shrike]

6. I rather like witches

They don't seem to bother anybody and are content to be left alone to do their thing. They certainly aren't aiming for world domination. Fine by me if they get tax exemptions.

[maxsolomon]

7. whatever floats your boat

i figure they're doing valuable work, rescuing northern european holy days from the grip of christianity.

happy samhain's eve!

[alphadog]

8. So...

If we're all in favor of this, I guess we're all in favor of tax breaks for fundamentalist Christian preachers going to divinity schools, right?

[stanwyck]

10. Are you sure they go

to divinity schools? Most I've met are self taught. No divinity school. I think you're thinking of mainstream protestant ministers who attend divinity schools where they study the world's religions, not just Christianity.
There's quite a difference.

[UncleSepp]

11. Yes. Fundie Dutch preachers ought to get their tax break, too.

Methinks someone didn't RTFA.

[stanwyck]

9. Our local priestess

(Atlanta-Ravenwood)plans to get federal funding for her faith-based initiatives dealing with runaways.
That will twist the fundies' tails.

[xchrom]

13. cool!

and as it should be.