Cheating on taxes

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Monica4316

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I don’t cheat on taxes, but someone I know is. My question is, is this a mortal sin? I do feel it is wrong, but is it mortal or venial?

Also, - let’s say someone in a family is doing this, and getting more money from the government as a result. If their family knows this, how do they avoid sin by cooperating by using the money? what if they can’t really avoid that?

thanks
 
How do you KNOW they are cheating? Have you seen their actual tax return?
 
I would argue that cheating on one’s taxes is grave matter. This could make it a mortal sin if the other two conditions are met. A person’s culpability might be reduced if they were truly desperate, or if they didn’t understand that cheating on taxes is theft.

If I were in the place of the family members you describe, I would probably first approach said loved one and ask him to ammend his tax return and start honestly reporting the family’s income. If he failed to do that, I might take it to my priest in the confessional and ask for advice. Would such a situation warrant reporting the loved one? I’m not sure, but it might.
 
Cheating on taxes is wrong. The culpability is unknown to any of us.

If something cannot be avoided, then it cannot be a sin.
 
Since “cheating on taxes” involves lying or misrepresentation, it’s morally wrong no matter the justification. There are many arguments that can be used to rationalize tax evasion (e.g. protecting your interests, money is being misused or abused, it’s an involuntary confiscation of wealth, etc…) but that doesn’t change the fact you are actively engaging in deception, which is proscribed by the Church. Lying is a direct offense against the truth. Culpability is dependent on consequences for those who are misled and/or affected by it.
 
Soldier_Of_God said:
Since “cheating on taxes” involves lying or misrepresentation, it’s morally wrong no matter the justification. There are many arguments that can be used to rationalize tax evasion (e.g. protecting your interests, money is being misused or abused, it’s an involuntary confiscation of wealth, etc…) but that doesn’t change the fact you are actively engaging in deception, which is proscribed by the Church. Lying is a direct offense against the truth. Culpability is dependent on consequences for those who are misled and/or affected by it.
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If you are not filing tax returns then you are not practicing deception.
 
Keith_W_OR_USA said:
If you are not filing tax returns then you are not practicing deception.
Click to expand...
Technically, but I doubt the IRS would find that unobjectionable. Additionally, if you are aware of a legal obligation to file your tax return (and just about all people are aware of this obligation), consider one of Jesus’ directives:

“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s”
- Matthew 22:21

Based on an interpretation, a prime aspect of the statement is to show there is a moral obligation to submit to a secular authority in secular matters when appropriate. Coincidently, his comment was issued with regards to whether or not the Jews should pay taxes to the Romans.
 
People SHOULD pay their taxes.
Taxes are to support infrastructure, police, fire departments, education,
etc etc etc. When people fail to pay their taxes, and many, many people DO that,
everybody loses.

And if they deliberately under-report their income and then SIGN that
tax return, they are warned on the tax form itself that that would amount to committing “perjury.”

And Jesus said to Render Unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, and
the income tax would certainly fit the bill.
 
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