A number of years ago, there was a commercial featuring a camel walking through an office, asking people what day it is. With reluctance, they would say, “Hump Day,” to which the camel would excitedly say in a way that I cannot type, “Hump Day! Hump Day!” You just have to hear the camel say it to appreciate the humor of the commercial.
With even less excitement and enthusiasm, we can answer the camel’s question by saying that today is “Tax Day! Tax Day!” This is also the day in 1912 when the Titanic sunk. How ironic! I hope your taxes don’t meet the same fate! Do you have your taxes filed?
Taxes of some form have always been around, even back in Bible days. Here in the United States, we remember the saying of one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. “Nothing is certain in this world but death and taxes.” He wasn’t kidding!
The Federal Income Tax, though, didn’t come from those early days of our nation. It came from the Civil War. “The need to finance the Civil War resulted in the first version of an income tax in 1862. President Lincoln signed a law that created the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and imposed an income tax on individuals ranging from rates of 3% on incomes of $600 to $10,000 and 5% on incomes over $10,000.
“This version of the tax was repealed 10 years later but it came back to life in 1894 with the Wilson Tariff Act. The act levied a 2% tax on incomes over $4,000. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled one year later that the tax was unconstitutional.
“Through the Civil War and beyond, income tax was tried, disputed in the courts, and finally resolved with the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, constitutionally establishing income taxes,” according to Thomas J. Cryan, an attorney and the author of Disrupting Taxes.
“The federal income tax as we know it was officially born on Feb. 3, 1913, when Congress ratified the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution after an on-again-off-again effort that lasted decades.
“The amendment read, “Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and regard to any census or enumeration.”
“However, less than 1% of Americans had to pay the tax in the first days after its inception, thanks to the amendment’s provisions for numerous taxpayer-friendly deductions and exemptions. The rate was only 1% of net income at that point.4 Congress later added a 6% rate for incomes of more than $500,000.”1 In case you’re wondering, the current tax rates are anywhere from 10% to 37% with the average of most of our readers probably being 22-24%.2
Lest we get too discouraged or grumbly about having to pay taxes, let’s allow the Scriptures to shed some light on the topic. Throughout the Bible days, there were civic taxes as well as taxes levied on the Israelites for the care of the Levites and the Tabernacle. Though not specifically called taxes, the concept was the same.
When Israel demanded that Samuel establish a king to govern Israel, Samuel warned that a king would do one thing: take. That’s exactly what kings have done through the centuries. 1 Samuel 8:14-18 warns, “And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. (15) And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. (16) And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. (17) He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. (18) And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” In other words, a king would “tax” the people in many areas of their lives. We are where we are at today thanks to Israel refusing to listening to God and desiring to be like all the pagan nations around them.
Even so, we are still under a Biblical obligation when it comes to taxation. Romans 13:1, 5-7 instructs us, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God… (5) Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. (6) For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. (7) Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”
Christians offer what sounds like a legitimate argument against taxes. They will say, “I don’t agree with how the tax dollar is spent. Our taxes funds things of which I’m Biblically and spiritually opposed.” While those are true statements, they do not release us from our taxation obligation.
Rome was a vile nation that controlled Israel. We would definitely be opposed to what they were doing and would say that they posed a legitimate reason to withhold paying taxes. Jesus’ response, though, shows us His attitude then and reveals what our attitude should be today. If we aren’t thrilled about April 15th and Tax Day, reflect on the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:16-21. “And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. (17) Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? (18) But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? (19) Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. (20) And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? (21) They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
1https://www.investopedia.com/articles/tax/10/history-taxes.asp
2https://www.irs.gov/filing/federal-income-tax-rates-and-brackets
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