Welcome to a blessed week. Covenant grace and peace be to you in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, who reigns forevermore.
Today’s question on the Infant Steps Series has to do with following the crowd. Sometimes we do things everyone is doing but is it always right? Please read Nelson’s question below and share your views. I am not quite sure how to categorize this question. Integrity? Tax evasion? Honesty? Please suggest something. Thank you.
Dear Rita,
I am a born-again Christian and have been for over seven years. I thank God for my job. One of the benefits of my job is that we are paid furniture allowances towards the end of the year. The options for collecting the allowance are
1) It is paid with salary and hence taxed heavily (to lose like 18-22% of it) or 2) A false receipt is brought stating that I have already bought my furniture and I need a refund. In the process of refund, the money does not have to go through my salary. This money we are talking about here is huge and much more than how much I would spend on furniture.
Recently, in my office, some folks were talking about whether option 2 is right or wrong. Someone said, “As long as Nelson does it, it is not wrong because he is a born-again Christian?”
Is option 2 wrong? This is what everyone does because our counterparts in other organizations are paid this allowance but the allowance is not taxed. If your answer is yes, please explain why.
Nelson
If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts.
If you want to view past questions and answers on the Infant Steps Series, please check the list on the sidebar right of the blog.
All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time.
