It is distressing that the National Assembly keeps dragging its feet on passing the bill to levy income tax on clergy members.
The National Assembly Finance Committee’s tax subcommittee held a meeting with representatives of leading religious groups early this week. The subcommittee is working on the government-authored bill to revise the income tax law to pave the way for taxes on the clergy starting next year.
What we heard from lawmakers who participated in the meeting was something we were already well aware of ― some religious leaders are still opposed to the idea of taxing their income.
Their logic has not changed: The work of the clergy should be regarded as a spiritual service which cannot be subject to taxation; the authorities could use tax audits to infringe upon freedom of religion; and some clergy members’ earnings are less than the minimum taxable income.
Some of these arguments ― like the first one ― are wrong. Nevertheless, the bill put on the table of the tax subcommittee has already addressed many of the opposing arguments: Only 20 percent of their income would be taxed, an earned income tax credit would be offered to low-income clergy members and tax audits on religious groups would be banned. In sum, the bill has been watered down from the original government plan to such a degree that critics call it “a tax code in name only.”
Catholic priests have been paying income tax since 1994. So have the clergy of the Anglican Church, some of the leading Protestant churches and Buddhist groups.
Rep. Kang Seog-hoon, who represents the ruling party in the tax subcommittee, was quoted as saying that the meeting confirmed that a consensus had not yet been reached.
It would be better for the government and politicians to secure a public consensus or persuade opponents when there is a major national issue. But putting in place an equal, fair taxation policy is not a matter that requires a compromise or full agreement.
The Constitution stipulates that all citizens have a duty to pay taxes and there is no reason whatsoever to exempt the clergy from this universal duty.
