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

[Questioning Christian]

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?

 

[goy]

Do you want God to bless you on your gross or your net?

 

[Christina M]

Of course Christians should take full advantage of the tax laws and deduct their tithes, offerings and contributions! This provides tax savings which can allow us to give even more!


By the way, a tax refund is not income! Many mistake it as income...but it is just reimbursement of an expense you have paid in advance that didn't need to be paid. If you tithed on your gross, you have already tithed on that refund.


As the owner of an accounting practice, I can tell you that only about 1% of my clients actually give 10% or more. And about 90% of the clients I have who claim to be Christians and tithers actually only "tithe" about 1% of their gross income.


Also.....FYI... many people are so excited to get a tax refund. It is stupid to get a refund! That means Uncle Sam used your money all year long, interest free Not a wise move.


(Okay......okay....off my tax professional soapbox now...... )

 

[Izzy23]

gross/no taxes

 

[Simon_Templar]

This is very tricky question for self employed people.. and one that generates alot of hypocritical response in regards to them. People who are employed by company's receive alot of financial benefits that are not necessarily part of the paycheck (such as health benefits and other perks) which self employed people do not receive unless they pay for them.

My brother runs his own business and has received a fair amount of "holier than thou" responses on this issue because he doesn't tithe on the money that goes to pay business expenses etc, thus he doesn't techinically tithe on the gross.
If people were going to really tithe on the total benefits they received it would be much higher than just their gross pay, in most cases.

What the bible actually says is to pay the tithe "on your increase" which tends to suggest on the amount that you are increased, or benefited by.. thus if you never see the money, it is a stretch to call it "increase".

However, I think the most important thing about tithe is not making sure you hit exactly the right percentage on the right amount of money... its giving with a cheerful heart, glad to be able to bless others.. and giving to the church community as people have needs.
That is so profound.. when communities actually live out the command to give up their own wealth to meet the needs of their fellow believers. Thats the kind of thing that makes the world wonder.

 

[Jesusong]

I tithe on the gross and claim it on my taxes and then tithe on my refund when it finally arrives.

 

[lismore]

Can someone give me the scriptural basis for tithing apart from the OT feast?

 

[chilifrankplate]

Can someone give me the scriptural basis for tithing apart from the OT feast?

Jesus said in Luke 18:12 "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all I possess."

 

[Andrew]

Can someone give me the scriptural basis for tithing apart from the OT feast?

that would require another thread.

 

[Grl4Christ987]

Well since I haven't ever had a job that pays whatever money I get (which is always gross, tax free) I tithe on that...but when I do finally get a job I'll tithe on the net and prolly not file that on my tax return.

In Christ,

Kimmie

 

[lismore]

that would require another thread.

never got an answer on about 6 other threads.

 

[Andrew]

lismore,

we've already debated many times on this. you should look at the old threads -- and agree to disagree.

 

[Jesusong]

Why should one tithe on the gross and not on the net?



When you are hired for a job, the employer will pay you x amount of dollars/hour, x amount of dollars/year. The gov’t looks at your salary and taxes it on that x amount of dollars/year. You tell your friends (pridefully) that you found a good job that pays you x amount of dollars/hour or x amount of dollars/year. When you apply for a loan or credit, you tell the bank you make x amount of dollars/year. Yet, when it comes to the tithe, we tell the church, and ultimately, God that we don’t make x amount of dollars/year, but only “y” amount of dollars/year.



People complain that so much is deducted from our paychecks that we can’t afford to tithe on the gross amount. There is very little that are mandatory deductions, which are Fed and State taxes and FICA. And the reason why they are mandatory is because the gov’t understands all too well Jer 17:9. And the other deductions we have such as medical, dental, vision, long term disability, 401(k), etc, are all voluntary. No one is making us pay that but ourselves. If we can afford to do the voluntary deductions, then we can afford to tithe on the gross amount. Actually, we can’t afford not to.

 

[inwonderofyourlove]

I always get a bit confused with the net and the gross income. Which one is which? I dont work but my husband does and we tithe on the money that he gets every week, not on the hand, but the total amount of his pay. I dont think that we can claim our tithing on tax returns, I do know that our church has changed some clauses in its constitution and one of the new things is that we give a love offering over $100 we can now have that money returned to us at the end of the financial year. But if we do give a love offering to our church and then we get that money back, we definitely would be tithing from that money as well. I do agree that if there is tax deductions available for christians, every single christian person should take advantage of it, cos then they can give a bit more.

 

[lismore]

lismore,

we've already debated many times on this. you should look at the old threads -- and agree to disagree.

Hi Andrew

With all due respect, the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. I don't need to agree to disagree on doctrines that are fraudulent. Any new believer could walk in here and be indoctrinated by the legalistic and out of context tithing doctrine. Many, many people I know have been knoocked off the rails by it.

Galatians 5:1 NIV
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Now what is slavery? Walking with God, keeping in tune with the spirit and giving what is in your heart?

OR

Giving 10% legalistically because the pastor says?

 

[Shalia]

Also.....FYI... many people are so excited to get a tax refund. It is stupid to get a refund! That means Uncle Sam used your money all year long, interest free Not a wise move.


(Okay......okay....off my tax professional soapbox now...... )

However, Christina, if you were as washout stupid about money as my husband and I are, you'd do it so you got a refund, and maybe that's why *some* of your clients do it. We set it up so we never have to pay in to the system cause we'd never be able to AFFORD to. And then we also know that Uncle Sam is getting all our money interest free, but we've got a giant chunk of change to go and get things we need or pay off some small debts at the beginning of the year.

To us, it's worth giving the government the interest free loan.

 

[probinson]

Now what is slavery? Walking with God, keeping in tune with the spirit and giving what is in your heart?

OR

Giving 10% legalistically because the pastor says?

This has been addressed AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. I just posted something on this very topic in the other tithing thread. I'll even give you a link to that post.

We clearly do not agree on this. That's swell. Don't tithe then. I will continue to tithe.

As for the OP, I tithe on the gross and claim it on my taxes so that I have even more to give.

 

[lismore]

This has been addressed AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. I just posted something on this very topic in the other tithing thread. I'll even give you a link to that post.

We clearly do not agree on this. That's swell. Don't tithe then. I will continue to tithe.

As for the OP, I tithe on the gross and claim it on my taxes so that I have even more to give.

Hi there

Whether I agree on this or not doesnt matter one squirt, its the Lord's agreement you would need.

The way tithing topics are worded often gives people the wrong impression. Young believers might be led astray by this. Unbelievrs dont want law and rules, they want life and God.

Maybe if you add a disclaimer to tithing topics saying its its an extrapolation of an OT feast involving food in jerusalem with no NT backing whatsoever. Then at least we will know its a Charismatic tradition.

Once again there is no way such a legalistic thing could stand in the new covenant. Its a case of the traditions of man or the word of God.

Everyone should feel free to give whatever is in their heart to give and not be pressurized by being told they are a member of a minority that dont tithe. How anyone can tell in a supposed secret offering what another is giving is beyond me.

 

[Christina M]

Hi Andrew

With all due respect, the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. I don't need to agree to disagree on doctrines that are fraudulent. Any new believer could walk in here and be indoctrinated by the legalistic and out of context tithing doctrine. Many, many people I know have been knoocked off the rails by it.

Galatians 5:1 NIV
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Now what is slavery? Walking with God, keeping in tune with the spirit and giving what is in your heart?

OR

Giving 10% legalistically because the pastor says?

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.

 

[Christina M]

However, Christina, if you were as washout stupid about money as my husband and I are, you'd do it so you got a refund, and maybe that's why *some* of your clients do it. We set it up so we never have to pay in to the system cause we'd never be able to AFFORD to. And then we also know that Uncle Sam is getting all our money interest free, but we've got a giant chunk of change to go and get things we need or pay off some small debts at the beginning of the year.

To us, it's worth giving the government the interest free loan.

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.