Title: Vatican City Politics, government, and taxation, Information about Politics, government, and taxation in Vatican City
Headings: Vatican City - Politics, government, and taxation
Vatican City - Politics, government, and taxation
Content: There are no political parties in the country, but all cardinals under  the age of 80 have the vote in electoral issues within the Church. Internally, the Swiss Guard has been responsible for the personal safety  of the Pope since 1506, but in reality, its function is ceremonial and  policing of the state is left to the Civil Guard. There is no military  arm, and Italy takes responsibility for defense. There are no taxes, no restrictions on the import or export of funds,  and no customs or excise duties payable in the Vatican City. Employees of the Vatican pay no income tax and no customs duty on gasoline or goods that they buy in the Vatican. Non-Italians enjoy allowances on their monthly salaries. The Holy See is a member of numerous international organizations and  institutions, such as the International Telecommunications Satellite  Organization (Intelsat), the Organization for Security and Co-operation  in Europe (OSCE), and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees  (UNHCR), although its status is sometimes that of an observer only. The  Holy See is especially active within the framework of the United Nations  (UN) and has permanent observer status at the UN's New York  headquarters and Geneva offices. This also includes specialized UN  branches such as the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, and the  Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in Paris. The Holy  See has a member delegate attached to the International Atomic Energy  Agency and the UN Industrial Development Organization in Vienna, and  engages in diplomatic relations with the European Union (EU) in  Brussels.