Key #4 To Successful Money Managing

Key #4: Pay your taxes in an honest manner.

I did some research recently about the tax gap in America. Basically the tax gap is the number you get when you subtract how much money our government takes in in tax revenue from how much they should take in if everyone were to be honest on their taxes. In 2001, the tax gap was nearly $300 billion per year! In other words, over the last decade our government has been cheated out of nearly $3 trillion dollars by their own citizens. Or put another way, $300 billion dollars per year means that the government receives $1,000 less than it should for each person in the United States.

Granted, many people disagree with how our government spends the money it does take in, but our national debt would not be nearly as bad as it is if we all were honest on our taxes.

The Bible even has something to say about this matter (which is why we are discussing it) in Romans 13:7:

Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

In other words, not only is it illegal to cheat on taxes, it also goes against what God teaches us.

I understand that when doing taxes there are 'grey areas' open to 'interpretation'. Here's what I would say: If you don't feel comfortable explaining to Jesus what you're doing, don't bother doing it.

As Christians we ought to be setting an example for the world to see and follow, in every area of our life, taxes included.

View Key #1 here.
View Key #2 here.
View Key #3 here.