Morality of Paying Taxes

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Hello.

It couldn’t get through my mind that a catholic should be morally obliged (and breaking it would be a mortal sin) to pay the exact ammount of our due taxes if they are clearly abusive, mismanaged, drained through widespread corruption and used to promote abortion in the public health system. Is really it?

It seems that I would help the poor much better by my personal spendings that would create jobs and improving the economy that just giving it up to a monopoly that uses much of the money to personal enrichment and immoral deeds.

I live in Brazil.
 
You live in Caesar’s house. You use his roads, his services, and his protection. You are obliged to pay what Ceaser is due for the service he does for you. What Ceaser does with your taxes is not your sin, it’s his.

That being said, you are free to (legally) move to a nation that better represents you or you can try to influence Ceaser in the realm of politics to make the realm a better place for everyone.

Additionally, if you are tax savvy, you can use the loopholes ceaser put in the tax code to lessen your taxable income and obligations to him.
 
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In Brazil, a lot of companies pays a part of the the employees salaries “cold”, in money, with no income tax. This is an widespread habit. And deep in my conscience I think it can’t be a grave sin, because this is no USA, our politics are horrible. It is widespread corruption. It is not just leaving, my family helped build this country. It was different. And this is not our president or government property (Ceasar’s house). Besides, our roads, services are horrible - really horrible, not USA horrible. Our public health is a joke, we need to pay private plans. Security - failure. Justice - clearly bias. It can’t be the right thing to just forget all the rest of the Church teaching and morality and just concentrate blindly in this crazy idea that we need to pay all the taxes even if the State have became much much larger and oppresive. Here in Brazil, the press has a rough stimate that we work half of the year just to pay the taxes and almost all the services are clearly failed or we need to pay private. It can’t be fair. If we have a easy way to unburden a bit, it seems just right. The economy that this will generate will help much more the poor than the mismanagement of the our government.
 
To be honest I don’t know how the tax code is in Brazil, but in the US if you were to be paid “cold” (in America we call it “under the table”) you are still under obligation to report it to the IRS (taxman).

And I’m sorry that Brazil has turned into such a, pardon my language, a heck hole. It really is a shame what the Marxists have done to your beautiful country. I’m praying for you. Maybe you feeling this way is the Holy Spirit calling you to try to make your Homeland better than what it is now?
 
Yes, exactly, its is really a shame. Thank you for the prayers.

Well, I should report but I also could not and assume the risk and take a little bit of mony from corruption.
 
Just pray on it friend, and ask your preist what you should do in this situation.

But you really should consider some christian political activism. Try to make your homeland a better place out of love for your neighbors and your (possible) future children.
 
Jesus said: 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s". There is also:
‘Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.’ - Romans 13:5-7
 
The situation is that I really don’t think I can pay, since my employer is paying off the books.

Besides, the way you are quoting, it seems that no matter how absurd and unfair the taxes are we would be obliged to pay? If a country starts taxing 99% of income so that a class of burocrats lives ultra rich lives and rest of the people became like slaves. Is this right?
 
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Jesus paid taxes and the Roman government was as immoral as they come.

Render to Caesar.
 
Ok, I get. But the company refuses to pay me legally? I can’t force the company without loosing my job eventually.
 
Thomas Aquinus seems to say otherwise.

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2096.htm#article4

On the other hand laws may be unjust in two ways: first, by being contrary to human good, through being opposed to the things mentioned above—either in respect of the end, as when an authority imposes on his subjects burdensome laws, conducive, not to the common good, but rather to his own cupidity or vainglory—or in respect of the author, as when a man makes a law that goes beyond the power committed to him—or in respect of the form, as when burdens are imposed unequally on the community, although with a view to the common good. The like are acts of violence rather than laws; because, as Augustine says (De Lib. Arb. i, 5), “a law that is not just, seems to be no law at all.” Wherefore such laws do not bind in conscience, except perhaps in order to avoid scandal or disturbance, for which cause a man should even yield his right, according to Matthew 5:40-41: “If a man . . . take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him; and whosoever will force thee one mile, go with him other two.”

Reply to Objection 1. As the Apostle says (Romans 13:1-2), all human power is from God . . . “therefore he that resisteth the power,” in matters that are within its scope, “resisteth the ordinance of God”; so that he becomes guilty according to his conscience.

Reply to Objection 2. This argument is true of laws that are contrary to the commandments of God, which is beyond the scope of (human) power. Wherefore in such matters human law should not be obeyed.

Reply to Objection 3. This argument is true of a law that inflicts unjust hurt on its subjects. The power that man holds from God does not extend to this: wherefore neither in such matters is man bound to obey the law, provided he avoid giving scandal or inflicting a more grievous hurt.
 
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Well. Even if it would morally wrong to no pay the full amount of taxes, would it be a mortal sin? Mainly, in cases where does not depend only from my will, but in this case of my employer or an business owner that has other partners?
 
You can look for a job with an ethical, law abiding company. You can report your earnings to the taxing authorities. Doing things morally is not always easy!

A wise man once said “the worst thing about living outside the law is you no longer have the protection of the law”.
 
TheLittleLady said:
You can look for a job with an ethical, law abiding company. You can report your earnings to the taxing authorities. Doing things morally is not always easy!

A wise man once said “the worst thing about living outside the law is you no longer have the protection of the law”.
Click to expand...
The law here in our contry seems to protect only criminals sometimes…
 
As I do not speak Portuguese it is difficult to run searches on their documents (auto translate does not do good searches).
 
theorangeandblue said:
Here is the morality of paying taxes in form of the book of Matthew-

Tell us then what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll tax to Caesar or not?

But Jesus perceived their malice and said why are you testing Me you hypocrites?

Show Me the coin used for the poll tax and they brought Him a denarius

And He said to them whose likeness and inscription is this?

They said to Him Caesar’s then He said to them then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s

Matthew 22:17-21
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I don’t think that’s Jesus saying we should pay taxes. The Pharisees were trying to trap him and say taxes shouldn’t be paid because they knew if he said that, the Romans would dispose of him in a second. And Jesus knew this. Hence asking why are you trying to trap me? There is a reason they thought he’d say people shouldn’t pay taxes. Look at what he said “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”. The Pharsees were “amazed” by him, since they foolishly thought he caved and said everyone should pay taxes. What they didn’t realize is he stumped them since he was a far better debater than them. He essentially made it look like he said “people should pay taxes” without actually saying “people should pay taxes”. When you literally look at what he said “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, what belongs to Caesar? Nothing that belongs to someone else. Something can’t belong to two people. If I work 6 hours and get paid 6 gold coins, the gold coins belong to me, since they represent the 6 hours of labor I just did. Jesus even tells Peter he should go fishing and Jesus will put gold in the mouth of a fish Peter will catch, so clearly Jesus doesn’t think Peter should pay Caesar with money that belongs to Peter
 
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