What does the Church teach in regards to paying taxes, albeit on a very small income basis? I understand it is morally unacceptable to commit tax fraud, but what does the Church teach about taxation in regards to young people doing odd jobs, babysitting, or selling random items? It seems unreasonable to legally make such people render an account for such small matters, matters that seem to require more money and effort than what was gained in the first place.
There were times in the past as a where I traded/sold items for very small income, (equal or less than $200 net gain to my estimate and recollection) I also made $40 from babysitting the past year, and there were various times throughout my teen years (I'm 21 now) where I did things for my Dad which he would pay me for (mowing the lawn, things of this sort) Now I'm getting really frustrated here considering I'm afraid that I may have been obliged to report this income for taxation and potentially other income such as books my parents have purchased for me for college.
It is my understanding that the Church teaches that we are obliged to obey just laws and that tax evasion is tantamount to theft,(I think?) and yet at the same time I find it incredibly distressing that compliance with such laws is so intrusive on the family to such an extent that it hinders simple practices such as my dad paying me to do certain things around the house to teach me the value of having money, saving, and so forth.
Does the Church have any qualifying teaching regarding situations such as these? Do such tax laws ever become so ridiculous in the eyes of the Church that they no longer require obedience under pain of sin? Even on such low income I try to donate what I can to charity, and it's not something I keep a record of for tax purposes because I don't want to take advantage of loopholes where I'd end up giving money away to charity and getting tax refunds from this. To me giving money out of charity isn't about looking for some form of tax benefit to go along with it, I give money away without expecting some benefit from it. And yet even giving to charity is something that can be taxed, something I know very little about. I do have a summer job where taxes are automatically deducted from my paycheck and yet even in this instance, at the end of the summer parents give me and my coworkers tips (I work at a children's daycamp) And now I'm thinking that even this should have been reported, which I haven't done in the past thinking I didn't have to.
Essentially what I'm asking here is what is my moral obligation? It's beyond my recollection to render an exact account of all the under the table money I've made throughout my young life through doing odd jobs for family members, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, etc. I'm morally bound to comply with the law, even if it is absurd in such instances, and yet in the midst of this confusion I would love some moral clarification in regards to what my moral responsibilities are here. Any advice is appreciated.
There were times in the past as a where I traded/sold items for very small income, (equal or less than $200 net gain to my estimate and recollection) I also made $40 from babysitting the past year, and there were various times throughout my teen years (I'm 21 now) where I did things for my Dad which he would pay me for (mowing the lawn, things of this sort) Now I'm getting really frustrated here considering I'm afraid that I may have been obliged to report this income for taxation and potentially other income such as books my parents have purchased for me for college.
It is my understanding that the Church teaches that we are obliged to obey just laws and that tax evasion is tantamount to theft,(I think?) and yet at the same time I find it incredibly distressing that compliance with such laws is so intrusive on the family to such an extent that it hinders simple practices such as my dad paying me to do certain things around the house to teach me the value of having money, saving, and so forth.
Does the Church have any qualifying teaching regarding situations such as these? Do such tax laws ever become so ridiculous in the eyes of the Church that they no longer require obedience under pain of sin? Even on such low income I try to donate what I can to charity, and it's not something I keep a record of for tax purposes because I don't want to take advantage of loopholes where I'd end up giving money away to charity and getting tax refunds from this. To me giving money out of charity isn't about looking for some form of tax benefit to go along with it, I give money away without expecting some benefit from it. And yet even giving to charity is something that can be taxed, something I know very little about. I do have a summer job where taxes are automatically deducted from my paycheck and yet even in this instance, at the end of the summer parents give me and my coworkers tips (I work at a children's daycamp) And now I'm thinking that even this should have been reported, which I haven't done in the past thinking I didn't have to.
Essentially what I'm asking here is what is my moral obligation? It's beyond my recollection to render an exact account of all the under the table money I've made throughout my young life through doing odd jobs for family members, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, etc. I'm morally bound to comply with the law, even if it is absurd in such instances, and yet in the midst of this confusion I would love some moral clarification in regards to what my moral responsibilities are here. Any advice is appreciated.