Our present system of taxation is unfair and oppressive to the poor. Therefore, it is opposed by God. Accordingly, it should be opposed by those of us who follow Him. While I understand that many of us in the Church are not aware that our taxation system is unfair, when we do we need to lift up our voices and cry out for justice. Any system of taxation where there are widespread user taxes (import duties, Value Added Tax (VAT), etc.) is unfair to the poor. Why? Simply because people are only taxed on goods and services they use. The poor use most of their earnings to live week to week and have virtually no savings. Not so with those who earn considerably more and who have savings beyond their normal expenditure.
Even with FTAA looming, the clearest position we have heard from this and the former governments is that there will be NO income tax. But everything else about FTAA is hazy. Why is this? Clearly, it is because with income tax the rich will pay more taxes and the rich also hold political power so they will not increase taxes on themselves. Under the current import tax system, the poor pay the highest burden of tax and the rich the lowest. Under the VAT system being proposed the same will continue. Under the VAT proposal, the import taxes will simply be moved from the port to the cash registers…only a change of location, but the same practice. This is not just, and God is not pleased. He hates unbalanced scales. Yet the poor do not know they have a higher tax burden than the rich. Therefore, those of us who do must lift their voices to God and to those in authority and cry out against injustice, especially those of us in the Church.
The fairest system of taxation (which is Biblically grounded) is a flat tax on income and realized gains, where everyone pays the same percentage. An exemption should be given to low income persons at a level that is determined based on a poverty baseline. In this case, for example, the cost of housing and living would directly decrease for the poor because they would pay litter or no taxes, and those who are above the poverty income level will pay more according to their income, but the same percentage for all.
There will be tens of thousands of persons like myself who would end up paying more taxes under a fairer system of a flat tax on income and realize gains. However, let us not allow selfishness to cause us to turn a blind eye to our current system that is against the poor among us. So my friends, I cry out now and in prayer against this economic injustice because it is the foundation and fountain head of many of our socio-economic injustices. Further, I cry out because God is not pleased with our oppression of the poor. I invite you to join me in repentance and crying out to God for a tax system that is fair to all.
Friends, please understand that this is not a treatise on taxation. It merely is a cry for us as a nation to move away from a taxation system that is unjust towards the poor and for the embracing of one that is equally fair to all, both rich and poor. We in the Church who are supposed to be the defender of the poor and dispossessed need to start by at least acknowledging that our current system is unjust towards the poor and begin to repent. The questions and uncertainty about a flat tax system should not prevent us from acknowledging that our current system favours the rich against the poor. That it does cannot be refuted.
Editorial, The Bahama Journal
(Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. The views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Bahama Journal. Commentary and feedback may be directed to him via e-mail to apostle@kingdom-life.org)
