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Dear
Gramps, How does a person who is self-employed determine what their increase
is in order to calculate tithing? Some
friends of mine who own their own business tell me that they pay tithing
only on their personal draws, but it seems to me that if we are blessed with
the means to buy better equipment for our business we should pay tithing on
that. But, on the other hand, those who are employed by a company have all
of their desks, computers, office supplies supplied by their employer and do
not pay tithing on those things. Or do we just wait until we sell our
business and pay tithing on the proceeds?
What do you think? Andi, from New Mexico |
Dear
Andi,
I
think that the decision on what would constitute a full tithing in such cases as
you mention would appropriately be the decision of each individual involved.
Circumstances vary from one business condition to another, and these have been
met in various ways by different people.
Some
thoughts on the subject— If a person were to pay a full tithing on the gross
income of a business and his profit level were less than 10% percent; it is
obvious that he would soon be out of business. One way of defining increase in a
business sense would income over expenditures. However, many businesses are
incorporated, and the owners draw either a salary, a dividend or a bonus from
their companies. The rest of the money stays in the name of the company. It
would seem appropriate that those individuals would pay a tithing on their
income from the business. However, I know of at least one circumstance where the
owner paid a tithing on his income from the business, and then had his business
pay a tithing on its profit.
Gramps