G118 hours agoLaw1 min readBrazil

Justice prohibits João Pessoa City Hall from requiring CNPJ for IPTU exemption on terreiros

Quick Look

The Court determined that the City of João Pessoa cannot require CNPJ from terreiros and traditional communities to grant exemption from IPTU, aiming to guarantee freedom of worship and combat religious racism, as requested by the MPPB.

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Why It Matters

The action was filed by the Public Ministry of Paraíba to guarantee freedom of worship and combat discrimination against religions of African origin.

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The Court ruled that the City of João Pessoa cannot require CNPJ from traditional terreiros and communities to request exemption from IPTU. The decision was released this Friday (2) and responds to a request from the Public Ministry of Paraíba (MPPB).

g1 contacted João Pessoa City Hall to find out if the determination was already known to municipal management, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report.

The decision also establishes that the City Hall must accept other ways of proving that the religious community exists, that it uses the property and that the space is intended for essential cult activities.

According to the Public Ministry, the objective is to guarantee the freedom of religious worship provided for in the Constitution. The action also seeks to combat possible unequal treatment in the granting of tax immunity to religions of African origin, in addition to confronting discrimination and religious racism.

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