The Governments search for additional income has led them back to the Nation’s pensioners. They present an easy target with Revenue able to get together with the Department of Social Protection and obtain details of the State pension payments. This led to 500,000 files being examined and 150,000 letters issued. Out of that total 115,000 have been asked to pay up and 20,000 are to get a refund for paying too much! Those being asked to pay may have a liability for the arrears accumulated over past years so there is a sting in the tail. Whoever said that nothing was certain except death and taxes never spoke a truer word! There has been a protest from some that having worked to earn the pension they thought the benefits were tax free. Alas its income and income is taxed. There is no escape. There may well be a coterie of ex Bankers and Developers who have been able to squirrel away some ill gotten gains in oversea banks but they present a much harder target for Revenue. The money trails usually lead to some well known islands and their owners have now embarked on bankruptcy tourism to defend their stash. Regarding the latter those previously staunch Republicans have shown a sudden attraction for the UK with its more benign bankruptcy laws! Greed ruins patriotism! What has the Bible to say to all this? In Jesus’ day the tax gatherers were able to extract as much tax as possible from the people aided and abetted by their Roman masters. There was little that was just about the system. Never the less Jesus did not attack the system but converted Matthew one of the tax men! Another incident recorded by St Matthew recorded in Chapter 17 verses 24/27 refers to the annual Temple tax due by each person over the age of 20. St Peter was asked for the tax by the collectors and agreed to pay. Because the Temple was God the Father’s house Jesus the Son and those he brought into the Father’s family are exempt. Jesus said this to show that, with the coming of the Kingdom, believers were no longer under the Old Testament law but now are under the law of Christ. But he paid the tax. Although abolished this revenue stream was too good to ignore and re-emerged in the form of “Peter’s pence” which continues in some churches to this day! For those entering Christ’s family the price has been paid in full. As St Peter said, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” Salvation is a free gift to be accepted by the empty hand of faith but you had better pay your taxes!