Was that a little sin? or even a big one?

[Kathrin]

I mailed off my tax statements today.
Never too big a matter since my income has always been so low .

There was an inheritance though last year that I got a part of. Of course I declared it. I left out the space for the date of the inheritance though since I didn’t remember (it’s not from a relative. Just from an old man I used to visit, who distributed the rest of his money among all his friends that I was one of), thinking I would fill it in later.

Today at the post-office: I had already closed the envelope. I was at the counter. Remembered I had forgotten to fill in the date.

I am not sure if it matters so much. But if course usually if you sign something you sign that you have filled it out correctly and completely.

I was aware of this. But also that I had to mail it off today. I also didn’t want to be late for other things.

I even had the thought, well I’ll mail it now I’ll say it at confession if it was a sin.

I tend to be scrupulous so I thought I better not complicate things.

So I mailed it.

Did I sin? Lie with my signature?

Kathrin

 

[Holly3278]

Honestly, I don’t think you committed any sin but I could be wrong. If you did, though, it was only a venial sin because you didn’t have full knowledge of the gravity of the sin.

 

[Eucharisted]

If you forgot, don’t worry. It’s not a sin.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

If they need it, they’ll ask for it. I miss a couple of things each year. They don’t expect perfection, just an honest try.

 

[otjm]

Not all moral issues are legal issues.

Not all legal issues are moral issues.
This is not a moral issue.

 

[baltobetsy]

I’m pretty sure you’re concerned about having lied by signing the form indicating that it was filled out correctly and completely. Let’s think it through, OK? When you signed the form, you had forgotten about filling in that date, right? So, as far as you knew when you signed it, you had indeed filled it out correctly. So you did not lie with your signature. Or maybe you signed it thinking you would go back and fill in the date when you found out what it was. You still intended to have a correct and complete form; you simply forgot to put in the date. No lie here, either.

Try to remember, a mistake is not a lie. There are many, many times when what we say does not exactly match reality, that are not lies or sins at all. When you lie, you intend to deceive.

If you’re concerned that leaving off the date was sinful, I think you’re safe here also. It was an innocent mistake, and, as others have said, if the tax people really need to know, they’ll ask you.

Betsy