Cedric Moss
10-02-03, - 02:53 AM
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Economic Injustice
by
Apostle Cedric Moss
October 2nd
Our present system of taxation is unjust. It puts a much higher burden of paying taxes on those who can least afford it, and a much lower burden on those who can and should pay more. This sad reality exists because our system of taxation is primarily based on customs duties on imported goods so the poorer one is the higher the tax burden and the richer one is the lower the tax burden. Put another way, the poorest person in our country has the highest tax burden while the richest person has the lowest tax burden. Is this fair? Obviously not, and all politicians know this, PLP and FNM, past and present. Yet, our parliamentarians have supported and continue to wholeheartedly support our unfair tax system. In so doing they are supporting economic injustice.
The Status Quo
Even though we continue to nationally consider multinational trading agreements (CSME and FTAA) that call for the abolition of customs duties, the clearest position we have heard from this and the former government is that there will be NO income tax. But their positions on most other aspects of these agreements are uncertain. Why are they so strongly and clearly against income tax? Simply because people like them will pay more taxes and they will not increase taxes on themselves.
So instead of seeking a fair system of taxation, the government wishes to maintain the status quo. Accordingly, they have indicated Value Added Tax (VAT) or some form of sales tax as options to replace customs duties. And what will be the result? Under VAT or a sales tax system, the raising of unfair taxes that currently takes place at the port in the form of customs duties will simply be moved from the port to the cash registers and given another name. And so the status quo will remain
The Flat Tax
The fairest system of taxation is a flat tax on income and realized gains, where everyone pays the same percentage. The flat tax concept is the fairest tax in that it finds its precedent in God’s Kingdom tax, the tithe. God in His wisdom calls for 10 percent from everyone, from the poorest to the richest.
A Red Herring
In their attempt to justify their “no income tax” position, a red herring is thrown out. We are told that income taxes will chase investors and kill our international financial services sector. But this is not necessarily so, especially since some very successful international financial services centers like Switzerland have income tax. In a similar way we can craft a flat taxation system that is compatible with our nation’s status as an international financial services center.
National Lotto Song
We also have those who sing “bring the lotto” so the government will have more revenues for essential government services like education and proper roads. However, with a fairer tax system based on a flat tax and not customs duties, our country might experience surplus budgets instead of institutionalized deficits and have no need for a national lottery. Further, those who support the lotto further support economic injustice because it is really a voluntary tax which the poor primarily pay.
So let’s replace “the national lotto song” with “the flat tax song”.
Economic Justice
Any system of taxation where there are widespread user taxes, like import duties and VAT, is economically unjust to the poor because of their low income as opposed to the rich because of their high income. This is because you are only taxed on goods and services you use.
No doubt, there will be many persons like myself who would end up paying a bit more taxes under the fairer system of a flat tax on income and realized gains. However, let us not allow selfishness to cause us to turn a blind eye to our current system that is oppressing the poor among us. To support a flat tax is to support economic justice.
Unbalanced Scales
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 are told in Scripture that God hates unbalanced scales (see Proverbs 20:23). Therefore, He is not pleased with a tax system that wrongly favours one group against the other.
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. And let us not allow the questions and uncertainty about a flat tax system to prevent us from acknowledging that our current tax system is economically unjust.
Then let’s move beyond our acknowledgement, and lift up our voices and cry out for economic justice. Today, I lift mine up.
Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.
Economic Injustice
by
Apostle Cedric Moss
October 2nd
Our present system of taxation is unjust. It puts a much higher burden of paying taxes on those who can least afford it, and a much lower burden on those who can and should pay more. This sad reality exists because our system of taxation is primarily based on customs duties on imported goods so the poorer one is the higher the tax burden and the richer one is the lower the tax burden. Put another way, the poorest person in our country has the highest tax burden while the richest person has the lowest tax burden. Is this fair? Obviously not, and all politicians know this, PLP and FNM, past and present. Yet, our parliamentarians have supported and continue to wholeheartedly support our unfair tax system. In so doing they are supporting economic injustice.
The Status Quo
Even though we continue to nationally consider multinational trading agreements (CSME and FTAA) that call for the abolition of customs duties, the clearest position we have heard from this and the former government is that there will be NO income tax. But their positions on most other aspects of these agreements are uncertain. Why are they so strongly and clearly against income tax? Simply because people like them will pay more taxes and they will not increase taxes on themselves.
So instead of seeking a fair system of taxation, the government wishes to maintain the status quo. Accordingly, they have indicated Value Added Tax (VAT) or some form of sales tax as options to replace customs duties. And what will be the result? Under VAT or a sales tax system, the raising of unfair taxes that currently takes place at the port in the form of customs duties will simply be moved from the port to the cash registers and given another name. And so the status quo will remain
The Flat Tax
The fairest system of taxation is a flat tax on income and realized gains, where everyone pays the same percentage. The flat tax concept is the fairest tax in that it finds its precedent in God’s Kingdom tax, the tithe. God in His wisdom calls for 10 percent from everyone, from the poorest to the richest.
A Red Herring
In their attempt to justify their “no income tax” position, a red herring is thrown out. We are told that income taxes will chase investors and kill our international financial services sector. But this is not necessarily so, especially since some very successful international financial services centers like Switzerland have income tax. In a similar way we can craft a flat taxation system that is compatible with our nation’s status as an international financial services center.
National Lotto Song
We also have those who sing “bring the lotto” so the government will have more revenues for essential government services like education and proper roads. However, with a fairer tax system based on a flat tax and not customs duties, our country might experience surplus budgets instead of institutionalized deficits and have no need for a national lottery. Further, those who support the lotto further support economic injustice because it is really a voluntary tax which the poor primarily pay.
So let’s replace “the national lotto song” with “the flat tax song”.
Economic Justice
Any system of taxation where there are widespread user taxes, like import duties and VAT, is economically unjust to the poor because of their low income as opposed to the rich because of their high income. This is because you are only taxed on goods and services you use.
No doubt, there will be many persons like myself who would end up paying a bit more taxes under the fairer system of a flat tax on income and realized gains. However, let us not allow selfishness to cause us to turn a blind eye to our current system that is oppressing the poor among us. To support a flat tax is to support economic justice.
Unbalanced Scales
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 are told in Scripture that God hates unbalanced scales (see Proverbs 20:23). Therefore, He is not pleased with a tax system that wrongly favours one group against the other.
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. And let us not allow the questions and uncertainty about a flat tax system to prevent us from acknowledging that our current tax system is economically unjust.
Then let’s move beyond our acknowledgement, and lift up our voices and cry out for economic justice. Today, I lift mine up.
Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.