Participating in same-sex marriage

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jrickrob

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I am a CPA in public practice with about 90% of my work being tax planning and preparation. As the movement for same-sex marriage has unfolded, I have been praying that I would be retired before a same-sex “married” couple came to me to prepare a married filing joint (or separate" return. With Friday’s ruling I am now anticipating that I will be ppresented with that situation.

I have decided after prayerful reflection and a consult with my pastor that I will politely decline to prepare the return in that by doing so I would be considered to be affirming the same-sex marriage status. I also neither will review the return, assist in any other way and definitely not sign the return. As director of our tax department, I will not impose my will on any of my staff. I think our managing partner will support me but he also would not like to be sued.

Now if I have a single gay or lesbian come to me I will help. If the gay or lesbian has a business, I will help, but I draw the line at a “married” same-sex return.

I could be flip and recommend that the couple obtain a divorce but it could be an opportunity for some fraternal counseling out of charity.

Just wanted to know if anyone else has similar situations. I am sure I am not alone.
 
I hope you stick by your guns and do the same thing for divorees/ single mothers who date w/o annulments etc.
 
Birdpreacher said:
If a woman get remarried civilly w/o an annulment and seeks to file jointly with husband.

Sin is sin is it not?
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  1. you didn’t say anything about remarrying in your first post. Dating has nothing to do with taxes.
  2. No, to say “sin is sin” is not correct Catholic teaching.
  3. Even with your added clarification of remarried, an accountant would not have enough information to determine if the couple is living a sinful lifestyle and the charitable thing is to put the most positive interpretation on the circumstances. With a same-sex couple, that information is already provided. There are no circumstances where it would be moral.
 
Corki said:
  1. you didn’t say anything about remarrying in your first post. Dating has nothing to do with taxes.
  2. No, to say “sin is sin” is not correct Catholic teaching.
  3. Even with your added clarification of remarried, an accountant would not have enough information to determine if the couple is living a sinful lifestyle and the charitable thing is to put the most positive interpretation on the circumstances. With a same-sex couple, that information is already provided. There are no circumstances where it would be moral.
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  1. Fair Point.
  2. Mortal Sin is Mortal Sin, is it not?
  3. Then you would agree with me, he aught to make a questionare to hand to married couples to see if their sexual relationships are deemed to fall within the Catholic Sacrament of Marriage. This aught to be great for business. Lets start a template for him.
 
Birdpreacher said:
  1. Fair Point.
  2. Mortal Sin is Mortal Sin, is it not?
  3. Then you would agree with me, he aught to make a questionare to hand to married couples to see if their sexual relationships are deemed to fall within the Catholic Sacrament of Marriage. This aught to be great for business. Lets start a template for him.
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  1. No, that is not Church teaching. All kinds of mortal sin have the possible outcome of earning a person eternal punishment but beyond that there is not an equality of sins. Some sins are much more grave than others; some mortal sins are personal while others hurt more people; some categories of sins are more grave, etc. There are lots of qualifies.
Example: adultery and rape - both mortal sins, both sexual sins, one obviously more grave than the other.
  1. No. Why would he make a questionnaire before doing someone’s taxes? He doesn’t need or want to know about a person’s sexual relationships. But if someone gives that information up front, you can’t “un-know” it.
This isn’t about shunning those who are not living up to your moral code. It’s about not knowingly being an accomplice.
This aught to be great for business. Lets start a template for him.
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That’s a little bit too snarky, don’t you think?
 
Just so long as we agree that if a couple who comes in is living in sin, and he has knowledge that they are living in sin. He show them the door as well.
 
Birdpreacher said:
Just so long as we agree that if a couple who comes in is living in sin, and he has knowledge that they are living in sin. He show them the door as well.
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I agree, IF he feels that doing their taxes or financial planning would be to participate in their lifestyle, and IF that lifestyle is material to their accounting situation, then, yes.
 
Birdpreacher said:
Just so long as we agree that if a couple who comes in is living in sin, and he has knowledge that they are living in sin. He show them the door as well.
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I don’t know if that couple is living in sin. For all I know, the couple could be in separate bedrooms. I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors or where they stand with reconciliation.

The same would apply to an unmarried gay or lesbian couple. I don’t know what goes on.

OTOH with respect to “married” gay and lesbian couples the marital aspect is immoral in and of itself.

These boundaries apply to other situations. For example, I will not perform services for pro-abortion groups, strip clubs, white supremacist groups along with others unnamed.
 
jrickrob said:
I am a CPA in public practice with about 90% of my work being tax planning and preparation. As the movement for same-sex marriage has unfolded, I have been praying that I would be retired before a same-sex “married” couple came to me to prepare a married filing joint (or separate" return. With Friday’s ruling I am now anticipating that I will be ppresented with that situation.

I have decided after prayerful reflection and a consult with my pastor that I will politely decline to prepare the return in that by doing so I would be considered to be affirming the same-sex marriage status. I also neither will review the return, assist in any other way and definitely not sign the return. As director of our tax department, I will not impose my will on any of my staff. I think our managing partner will support me but he also would not like to be sued.

Now if I have a single gay or lesbian come to me I will help. If the gay or lesbian has a business, I will help, but I draw the line at a “married” same-sex return.

I could be flip and recommend that the couple obtain a divorce but it could be an opportunity for some fraternal counseling out of charity.

Just wanted to know if anyone else has similar situations. I am sure I am not alone.
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Are you actually affirming the “marriage”? I wouldn’t think you are making any comment on it–you are simply helping two people meet their required obligation to the federal and state government. You’re not endorsing their “marriage”. The state now says they’re married and they must file a joint return–you’re helping them meet their legal obligation. Nothing more nothing less in my opinion.

The peace of Christ,
Mark
 
His refusal needn’t be connected to sin.
It is a good example of civil disobedience, and can be politically motivated.

Don’t we still have the right to have our own political opinions?

Oh wait…
 
Deltadeliquent said:
His refusal needn’t be connected to sin.
It is a good example of civil disobedience, and can be politically motivated.

Don’t we still have the right to have our own political opinions?

Oh wait…
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Thank you. Yes, there is a personal political belief system in play here. I just try to make sure in good conscious that my political beliefs are not in conflict with my religious beliefs and the teachings of Holy Mother Church.
 
jrickrob said:
I am a CPA in public practice with about 90% of my work being tax planning and preparation. As the movement for same-sex marriage has unfolded, I have been praying that I would be retired before a same-sex “married” couple came to me to prepare a married filing joint (or separate" return. With Friday’s ruling I am now anticipating that I will be ppresented with that situation.

I have decided after prayerful reflection and a consult with my pastor that I will politely decline to prepare the return in that by doing so I would be considered to be affirming the same-sex marriage status. I also neither will review the return, assist in any other way and definitely not sign the return. As director of our tax department, I will not impose my will on any of my staff. I think our managing partner will support me but he also would not like to be sued.

Now if I have a single gay or lesbian come to me I will help. If the gay or lesbian has a business, I will help, but I draw the line at a “married” same-sex return.

I could be flip and recommend that the couple obtain a divorce but it could be an opportunity for some fraternal counseling out of charity.

Just wanted to know if anyone else has similar situations. I am sure I am not alone.
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I don’t believe preparing a tax return would qualify as cooperation with evil.
 
It seems to me that there’s a good deal of egocentrism, and frankly, scrupulosity, around this issue.

For all the florists, photographers, caterers, DJ’s (and now accountants?!) out there: You are not “participants” in wedding ceremonies, or wedding receptions, or in the marriages of couples to whom you sell your services.

You get to “participate” in one wedding - the one where you’re getting married. If you’re asked to formally “participate” as a witness (best man, maid of honor, etc.) in somebody else’s wedding, you may get a few more. You may choose to define yourself as “participating” in weddings where you’re just a spectator/guest, but that’s your ego talking.

And those other weddings, receptions, marriages, where you’re providing services? You’re not a participant; you are a vendor, and as such, you are bound by the laws concerning commercial activity. You are not “endorsing” the behavior of those to whom you sell services; you’re taking their money. You are responsible for your actions under the law (whether God’s law or Mammon’s); not theirs.

If you’re a retailer, will you decline to sell goods to a gay couple? Toothpaste? Bedsheets?

The OP says he cannot, in conscience, sign a tax return of a gay “married” couple? Why not? If they meet the legal definition of “married filing jointly,” they meet it - whether that “marriage” is legitimate or illegitimate, licit or illicit, in the eyes of the Church. The IRS Form 1040 has nothing to do with the Church, and nothing to do with anybody’s religion. It’s about conformance with federal tax law, period. Further, the idea that a CPA who prepares a tax return - whether for a couple “married filing jointly,” or a partnership, or a corporation - is somehow endorsing the activity of that couple, partnership, or corporation, is just ludicrous. As the OP (a CPA) well knows, accountants and auditors are very careful to specify where their responsibility ends; read the disclaimer language that accompanies any audited financial statement of any organization.
 
Deltadeliquent said:
His refusal needn’t be connected to sin.
It is a good example of civil disobedience, and can be politically motivated.

Don’t we still have the right to have our own political opinions?
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Yes, but the question is whether or not his refusal would be supported by Catholic doctrine. The question isn’t if he can refuse or not refuse. He can do whatever he darn well pleases. But it may (or may not) be incorrect to use the Church as his defense.
 
on_the_hill said:
Yes, but the question is whether or not his refusal would be supported by Catholic doctrine. The question isn’t if he can refuse or not refuse. He can do whatever he darn well pleases. But it may (or may not) be incorrect to use the Church as his defense.
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Yes, it is supported. The level of cooperation, in this case is remote rather than proximate and material rather than direct. It’s not close enough to constitute sin but avoiding even remote cooperation with evil is laudable.
 
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