Do you tithe on the GROSS, or on the NET? Do you deduct this from your taxes?

Christina M said:

With all due respect, lismore, this thread is NOT about whether tithing is biblical or not. It is for those who DO tithe....and how do they do it.

Please.

Leave your debating for another thread.

Click to expand...

OK

peace

This will be a new one for me, in my youth I have got 100% of my income back on tax returns and just paid 10%-15% on that also and paid on net. Now I am finding out with getting married and making more that I will not get back the full amount. Luckily I do pay more then average in tithe money, however I will be starting to pay on gross myself also.

Christina M said:

I wasn't calling you stupid! I said it is stupid to get a large refund. Don't take that one back. I teach tax workships for the SBA and even that government agency tells people to arrange their paychecks to get no refund.

There are simple ways to adjust your pay so you are paying in JUST THE RIGHT amount. Then you can take that extra money and invest it for yourselves so it earns something for you, instead of zippo with the IRS.

We are called to be wise servants and invest what we have.

Click to expand...

Oh, hon, I communicate so badly! I know you weren't calling me stupid. *I* was calling me stupid! We are really, truly terrible with money. Can't keep it for anything. Any attempts at savings are quickly blown. We are really so SO lousy at it.

It was nothing about you, I'm so sorry if I made you feel bad about what you said. I was just saying maybe some people choose to do it on purpose. We do. We know you can set it up to get just about zero back, but we *like* getting a pot of money in the beginning of the year. Since we are so lousy at saving money, it gives us the opportunity to get things like a new bed or move or such. We always do that stuff at tax time.

It's just a personal choice.

I checked #3, but the Scripture doesn't address this question.

Give in the manner that the Spirit directs you.

And remember--sometimes He will direct you to do or not do things, not because doing or the lack of doing them is sinful, unjust, or wrong, but for the sake of fulfilling all righteousness, being blameless, and not causing anyone to stumble.

Questioning Christian said:

This is going to be good.

Which amount should Christians tithe from? Should Christians do deductions on their income tax from monies given to God?

Click to expand...

I voted neither. Tithing was a concept given to the Jews in the OT for the express purpose of operating the temple.

12volt_man said:

I voted neither. Tithing was a concept given to the Jews in the OT for the express purpose of operating the temple.

Click to expand...

As explained before, THIS THREAD is NOT for debating the tithe...... it is FOR TITHERS. You have enough other threads that are for debating it...please do not contaminate this thread.

Thank you.

whoa the Quaffie can sometimes be brutal in bringing us back to reality can't she

*duck*

'

Questioning Christian said:

This is going to be good.

Which amount should Christians tithe from? Should Christians do deductions on their income tax from monies given to God?

Click to expand...

This is a good thread. It is an important issue.
First of all I want to say that I have tithed off Gross for years. Bro. Copeland made a statement that I'll never forget, posed in a question: He said, "Do you want a net blessing or do you want a gross blessing?" Ever since then, I have tithed from the gross. However it can be argued. I am not saying that a person should give less if they decide to tithe off net, but should just chalk it up as offering rater than tithe. Jesus said to rend to Ceasar what is Ceasars and to God what is Gods. Meaning that there is a portion that belongs to Ceasar and a portion that belongs to God. It could be argued that "taxes are like paying our light bill, but you dont deduct your light bill from your tithe payment." This is seemingly a good point on the surface but our utilities bills can not be compared to taxes. YOu can choose to have your lights, gas and water turned off if you really wanted to and never have another charge, but try not paying your taxes just because you never call the police, drive on the roads or go to school any longer, etc... They will come and throw you in jail for a real long time!
Bottom line we are not under law. It is clear in scripture that we are to tithe, but exactly what tithe is, is not spelled out in the bible (A person with a right heart should not be looking for ways out of giving, but for more ways to give!).
As far as tax deductions on our giving, I believe it is not only our privelige, but our duty to take advantage of any tax benefit offered to us as Christians. There are far too many wicked people trying to take away benefits from the church. What we dont value, we will ultimatly lose. What many dont realize is that you are already getting a deduction from your giving automatically. Most perople dont give above this set amount anyway to make any further difference on their return.
Pastor J

If a person does to choose to tithe off gross, any return they receive will already be tithed on. In this case no tithe would be due on the tax return. You basically loaned this money to the Gov. for one year and they sent it back to you. Anything you give from this would be considered offering.
Pastor J

If you own your own business as we do, you should tithe from the gross revenue of the business, before you even pay yourselves salaries - that's FIRST FRUITS! Thus, we do not tithe from our salaries, but give offerings out of those.

Another thing that should be understood is that we are only required to tithe off increase.
Meaning if I buy a car for 300 dollars to turn around and sell it ,I spend 200 on repairs and sell it for 1000 dollars, my actual increase is not 1000 dollars. My increase is only 500 dollars. My tithe would be 50 dollars. I should have already tithed off the other 500 before I bought the car.

On a broader scale, If I own a business and at the end of the year my total income was 300,000 dollars. I did not "increase" that much. I must figure my expenses, salaries, tools, office supplies, printers, copiers, etc...After you deduct these amounts you have found your increase.

Let me be clear that this only applies for businesses. YOur personal expenses at home wouldnt count. Nice try!

I know that this could be frowned on by some, but by experience I know that many christian business men & women who faithfully tithed and gave went into bankruptcy simply because they didnt know the principle of increase. They never discerned their harvests because they thought that it was tithe.
Pastor J

Hey that makes sense! Tithing from crops in the old testament was the increase, after the laborers were paid, oxen fed, etc. I've been tithing too much, tithing from gross revenue! What was I thinking? We're struggling badly.

I am such an idiot! This was all my idea, and I convinced my husband into this arrangement. I've been having nagging doubts since we began this practice, but I've been rushing around so much I never really gave it proper thought. Dumb, undiscerning, dumb cow that I am after all.

habeas said:

Hey that makes sense! Tithing from crops in the old testament was the increase, after the laborers were paid, oxen fed, etc. I've been tithing too much, tithing from gross revenue! What was I thinking? We're struggling badly.

Click to expand...

Habeas I am so, so, glad that I was able to help you with this. I felt compelled to comment on this thread. I believe it was just for you and your husband.
I believe with you that your business will flourish!
P.S. Quit saying your an idiot and a dumb cow!!! Your the righteousness of God and have the mind of Christ!!!!
Pastor J

Pastor J,

This was right on time. We just received a substantial sum of money this very evening, more than we've received in months, and I wanted to use it all to pay our mountain of overdue bills and indebtedness, but was about to pay 10% to the church. I was feeling quite tormented, while simultaneously self-righteously believing I was going to be obedient to God and pay ten percent right off the top. Whew! Thank you!

habeas said:

Pastor J,

This was right on time. We just received a substantial sum of money this very evening, more than we've received in months, and I wanted to use it all to pay our mountain of overdue bills and indebtedness, but was about to pay 10% to the church. I was feeling quite tormented, while simultaneously self-righteously believing I was going to be obedient to God and pay ten percent right off the top. Whew! Thank you!

Click to expand...

There are so many people in your shoes who sincerely love God with all their hearts but are in between a rock and a hard place. Because they dont understand what they are to tithe off of, their own integrity wont allow them to "rob God". Thinking they are "doing God service", they are all the while perishing for a lack of knowledge.
Just count all that "over paid tithe" as offering seed. It still fell into good soil!
Pastor J