There's an absolutely fascinating piece in Taxation about similarities between our current tax law and some of the ancient principles of Judaism.

Charitable giving is important in Judaism, so it's understandable that, over time, principles will have built up in order to determine what level of charitable giving is fair and reasonable. The article looks at inheritance, the determination of income and reasonable deductions from income. I'm afraid my knowledge of Judaism is sketchy to say the least, so I can't verify that the article has got everything right but it's thought-provoking nonetheless. However, it does seem plausible that in seeking to determine a system of taxation, authorities would look to align them to concepts in existing structures, such as religion, for good pragmatic and policy reasons. 

The full article is here, and is well worth a read.

So, is there anyone out there who fancies undertaking a similar exercise in relation to Christianity?

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Filed under: Taxation with tags charity, christianity, inheritance tax, judaism, religion, taxation magazine