A tax refers to a recompense needed by the government that is unconnected to any explicit advantage or services rendered by the government. The overall purpose of the tax is funding the government's operations as a way of raising revenue (Spilker et al., 2020). Views from a religious perspective vary in regard to distributive justice and tax equity. Theologians and Bible scholars state that references in the scripture made regarding money vary from around eight hundred to several thousand. Additionally, they say that from the first day that Jesus Christ walked in this world, more than 15% of His commands talked about the issue of money, more than He spoke of Heaven and Hell. In His teaching about money, Jesus talked about taxation, and recognizing how to apply Biblical instructions is essential as it is the obligation about tax payments.
Talking about taxation, Jesus instructed His disciples, Israelites, and to all Christians in general, when He was asked by the Pharisees if they should pay taxes. Jesus said that "…Render therefore unto Caesar things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's" (Mathew 22:21, King James Version). In this instance, Jesus Christ reminded everyone who was in attendance as well as His disciples about the importance of obeying the government's laws as their authority on Earth. It is therefore crucial for Christians to remember that in the scripture, Prophet Haggai stated that "The silver is mine and the gold is mine declares the Lord of hosts" (King James Version). It explains that the Lord owns everything; therefore, as the authority of the government establishes taxes required in running it, Christians are hence obliged to attend to those taxes. If the government misuses the tax paid by its citizens, or corruption is exercised in the facilitation of the taxed money, then the authority is answerable to God as a result of its misappropriation. Coetzer and Snell state that the gospels from the Bible teach us that Jesus taught his followers in words and also told them to act as examples to give to the government the taxes they owe.
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Secondly, is the principle related to private property. It is expected of us by God that we shall steward our property and not the government. It is supported by one of the commandments that states that " You shall not steal " as well as other bible verses such as Deuteronomy 19:14 that's states that "You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set." All these theological premises support that God is maven private property ownership. Since this follows the principle of private property ownership, governments must underlie it when forming tax policies since God permits us to own personal properties (Drollinger, 2020). As a result, any money that is taken from people belongs to them. First, it does not belong to the society or the government; hence governments should tax their citizens justly and treat then with respect to their rights. This means that the government should not steal from its citizens.
The third is the principle of proportionality. The government should be just and proportion in terms of taxation to its citizens. It is because people have different amounts related to private property reliant on what they earn depending on individual industriousness, God-given talents, and abilities, characters, and providence. Regarding this, disproportionateness among individuals does not permit governments to apply disproportionate rights among its citizens (Drollinger, 2020). Hence, if the government taxes it, citizens, disproportionately, it is unjust, thus going against what God commands. God created governments, and He is just, so should be the governments. As a result, the government has developed the proportional tax rate structure that is commonly known as the flat, that imposes constant tax rates throughout the tax base (Spilker et al., 2020). It ensures that both the rich and the poor pay a fair share.
Personal productivity is the other Biblical principle that should be employed in the taxation field. It is critically essential that individuals in a country have jobs and be effectively applied. Lack of individual productivity means that governments will not be able to get income taxes. From the scripture, God blessed us and commanded us to be fruitful while actively multiplying the Earth. He also subdued us and gave us the right to cultivate the Earth (Drollinger, 2020). Hence, when developing tax policies, governments need to advantage of this aspiration that was built in by God. It means that governments will be guilty of quelling with God-given desire if they were to tax citizens 100% of personal income. Hence, less taxation equates to increased net income; thus, workers will be motivated to work more. As a result, people get motivated to save, spend, and invest more while at the same time giving more to the needy. This, in turn, stimulates economic growth enabling the creation of a broader economy contributing to the general taxable income.
In conclusion, the Bible brought with it many teachings carrying Biblical principles that should be employed in the field of taxation. In taxation, the principles state that individuals are mandated to pay taxes to the governments that govern them. In turn, governments should tax people equally and proportionately without biasness. It should be just and observe an individual's rights when exercising its duties while at the same time, stimulate its citizens to work productively.
References
Coetzer, W., & Snell, L. (2013). A Practical-Theological perspective on corruption: towards a solution-based approach in practice. Acta Theologica , 33 (1). https://doi.org/10.4314/actat.v33i1.2
Drollinger, R. (2020). Five Biblical Principles for Tax Policy. Capitol Ministries. Retrieved 13 May 2020, from https://capmin.org/five-biblical-principles-for-tax-policy/.
Spilker, B., Ayers, B., Outslay, E., Weaver, C., Barrick, J., Robinson, J., & Warsham, R. (2019). MCGRAW-HILL'S TAXATION OF INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESS ENTITIES 2020 (2020 ed.). MCGRAW-HILL EDUCATION.
