Campaign group Attac loses German tax case

BERLIN – A court in Germany has ruled that donations to the campaign group Attac aren't tax deductible because its work doesn't serve the common good.

The ruling published Tuesday by Federal Fiscal Court in Munich follows years of legal proceedings by the group, which was founded in Paris in 1998 to campaign for a tax on financial transactions.

Germany's top tax court said Attac's work doesn't qualify as political education.

Attac became a leading actor in the anti-globalization movement of the late 1990s. Bernd Riexinger, co-leader of Germany's Left party, condemned the ruling.

The ruling could affect other groups if they prioritize political campaigning over activities that meet the definition of "common good" under German law.