[March 07, 2006] Nagoya high court says temple's pet funerals taxable, not religious+ Tweet (Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)NAGOYA, March 7_(Kyodo) _ The Nagoya High Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling that Buddhist-style funerals for pets conducted by a temple are not nontaxable religious activities. Presiding Judge Takeaki Noda dismissed the appeal filed by the Jimyoin Temple in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, which had demanded the annulment of taxation on the temple's profits from the rites for five years beginning in 1996. The temple had hoped that the high court would at least acknowledge parts of the funeral, namely cremation and sutra chanting, as religious activities. The high court rejected the claim, citing a ruling in March last year by the Nagoya District Court that the temple had a pricing system similar to those of private operators of pet funerals. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]