Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Question:I m not satisfied with your answer to question no.1612(Can one cheat on taxes?)

You write and I quote" If one pays these taxes or does not pay them, there will be no reward or punishment in the Court of Allah Subhanah in the Hereafter."Unquote. How can anybody cheat with the country or state where he earns his livelihood? and not be punished by Allah.I dont mean to disagree with your reply but it sounds both unethical and illogical.

I m sorry if i have caused u any anguish.And definitely u will argue that allah knows best.But allah has given us a intellect.Deep within we all know that cheating with anyone however justifiable is wrong.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Cheating on taxes

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, we sincerely seek your understanding, your forgiveness, and above all the forgiveness of Allah Subhanah if something we have said has given rise to any misunderstanding.

Our answer to the question posed was that paying/not-paying taxes in the land one lives in is by itself, neither considered a virtue or sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah; and if one utilizes or exercises the option some governments give their citizens which would enable them to reduce their tax burden, there is absolutely no harm in exercising those lawful options.

If you read the article we wrote again, we made it very clear that it does not behove and befit a believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to do anything illegal or unlawful in his effort to lower the taxes he pays to the authorities of the nation he lives in; but if there exists any legal and lawful loopholes in the law of the land which reduce the burden of his taxes, he is well within his rights to exercise those options.

But if one were to lie, or mis-represent, or cheat, or deceive, or bribe, or use any other unlawful method in his effort to evade or reduce his taxes….such deceit would indeed constitute a sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan