Cheating on taxes.
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:
Assalm
Aleikm,
I am working in Manegerial level in a reputed company.As a means to increase my
pay , my company is now giving me Turnover Commission ( % of Total sales
Turnover) apart from Salary and other perks . I would like to confirm with you
that wht i earn by this is Halal?
I
would also like to know how should i deal with Income Tax to government ?Should
i pay as per law without fail ? or can i skip it ? will skipping result
unislamic act before allah`s law?
Thanking you for the light your giving to our life and requesting to include me
in your parayers so that i can hold myself in "Sirathul Musthaqeen".
Khuda hafiz
(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.
Your
Question: I would like to confirm with you that wht i earn by this is Halal?
Respected brother in Islam, as long as the business of the
company which employs you and the work that you do is lawful in its essence in
Shariah, absolutely regardless of how your salary package is structured, your
earnings would be considered absolutely lawful for you in the Sight of Shariah
Law.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verse 29:
29 O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in
vanities: but let there be amongst
you traffic and trade by mutual good-will.
If the management of the company which employs you has
chosen or agreed to pay you a ‘Turnover Commission’ plus perks in addition to
your basic salary, there is absolutely no harm in such a package.
The things which determine lawful/unlawful is the nature
of the business and the actual work that you do…..not the way your salary
package is structured by the company.
Your
Question: I would also like to know how should i deal with Income Tax to
government ?Should i pay as per law without fail ? or can i skip it ? will
skipping result unislamic act before allah`s law?
Firstly brother, the payment of government levied taxes in
a nation has to do with legalities of living in that particular nation; and if
one does not pay them as demanded by the concerned government, one would be
liable for legal prosecution according to the laws of that nation. Payment or non-payment of the government
levied taxes is associated with the laws of this world, and nothing to do with
the laws of Islam.
Respected brother in
Islam, it would simply not befit the character of a believer who sincerely
believes in Allah and the Last Day to do anything illegal or unlawful in their
effort to lower the taxes he pays to the authorities of the nation one lives
in; but if there exists any legal and lawful loopholes in the law of the land
which help reduce the burden of their taxes, one is well within their rights to
exercise those lawful options.
But if one were to lie, or misrepresent, or cheat, or
deceive, or bribe, or use any other unlawful method in their effort to evade or
reduce their taxes….not only would such deceit be considered a crime punishable
by law in the courts of this world, it 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