Editing Tithe (section)

====Italy====
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2012}}
Originally the Italian government of [[Benito Mussolini]], under the [[Lateran treaties]] of 1929 with the [[Holy See]], paid a monthly [[salary]] to [[Catholic]] clergymen. This salary was called the ''congrua''. The eight-per-thousand law was created as a result of an agreement, in 1984, between the Italian Republic and the [[Holy See]].

Under this law Italian taxpayers are able to vote how to partition the 0.8% ('eight per thousand') of the total income [[tax]] [[IRPEF]] levied by Italy among some specific [[religious]] [[Confession (religion)|confessions]] or, alternatively, to a [[Welfare (financial aid)|social assistance]] program run by the Italian State. This declaration is made on the [[IRPEF]] form. This vote is not compulsory; the whole amount levied by the [[IRPEF]] [[tax]] is distributed in proportion to explicit declarations.

The last official statement of Italian Ministry of Finance made in respect of the year 2000 singles out seven beneficiaries: the Italian State, the [[Catholic Church in Italy|Catholic Church]], the [[Waldenses]], the [[Italian Jews|Jewish Communities]], the [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] and the [[Assemblies of God in Italy]].

The tax was divided up as follows:
*87.17% Catholic Church
*10.35% Italian state
*1.21% Waldenses
*0.46% Jewish communities
*0.32% Lutherans
*0.28% Adventists of the Seventh Day
*0.21% Assemblies of God in Italy

In 2000, the [[Catholic Church]] raised almost a billion [[euro]]s, while the Italian state received about €100 million.