The Channel Islands Connection
The Centre for Intelligent Design is registered as a charity in Guernsey in the Channel Islands. The BCSE has no in-house expertise on the tax and other issues involved in this arrangement. However, in the section on John Langlois, we detail the general connections between Guernsey and the Centre for Intelligent Design.
As a general practice in England, any trading profits of a charity are subject, in theory, to tax. (The issue is somewhat more complex than this - it depends on the level of income from trading.) What looks to be happening is that Centre for Intelligent Design media will be sold through Guernsey (easy when your dealing with e-books, for example), probably using a third party; any profits will then be donated to the Centre for Intelligent Design in Guernsey and the tax reclaimed from the Guernsey tax authorities.
Recently Guernsey changed its laws so that such donated profits are not subject to tax at all.
There may also be advantages on issues of secrecy (the two Charity Commissions on the mainland of the UK require a fair amount of disclosure of financial accounts, for example).
CID has stated that it will not be receiving money from abroad so it seems unlikely the Discovery Institute or others will be funnelling money through Guernsey.
Under English charity law, charities cannot spend a significant amount of their income or time on political lobbying. This is probably the reason why Truth in Science is not registered as a charity. However, we are not aware of any rules that prevent a Guernsey charity lobbying in the United Kingdom.
Navigate your way round this report using the following links:
First Page: Centre for Intelligent Design Executive Summary
Introduction to the Centre for Intelligent Design
How Many People are Behind the Centre for Intelligent Design?
Timing of the Centre for Intelligent Design
Who Runs and Organises the Centre for Intelligent Design?
Professor Norman Nevin OBE
Dr Alastair Noble
Dr David Galloway
John Langlois OBE, Centre for ID Guernsey
Peter Loose
Previous Page: Centre for Intelligent Design Strategy
This Page: The Channel Islands Connection
Next Page: Centre for Intelligent Design's Headquarters
Supporting the Show – Messrs Michael Behe, Steve Fuller and Geoff Barnard
Miscellaneous Intelligence
