Taxes

On the 24th May 2017 all Federal Government agencies were told to search their records for any links to ‘Plutus Payroll’ a company involved in an alleged $165 million tax fraud. Are we morally obligated to pay taxes?  Why can’t people keep the money they have earned? What does the Bible say?

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God…

6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour. (Romans 13:1, 6-7)

Romans 13 teaches us that all leaders, regardless of beliefs, are placed in power by God.  God holds all leaders accountable for the governing of the nation in their care.  In this context, the taxes we pay go to resourcing our leaders so that they can implement the good which God expects of them.  To evade taxes is to disobey God, disempower our leaders and hurt our country.  Even, the Lord Jesus, who lived under the tyranny of Caesar and the corruption of the tax collectors, said,

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

(Mark 12:17)

If Christians are not to defraud the government, then how much more God!  When we aim to minimise the giving of ourselves, time, and money for fraudulent reasons we defraud God and hamper the work of His church.  Beware!  God responds harshly to frauds. (Acts 5:1-11)

Denis Oliver