Different churches in Samoa have their own systems for collecting money. So, to be fair, that has to take that into account when asking churches to pay tax.
Samoa’s National Council of Churches does not have an official opinion on the plan by the Ministry of Revenue to tax pastors and clergy.
“We will leave it to leaders of each Church in Samoa to come up with their own ideas in relation to this and then present it to the Ministry for their report to Parliament,” The Chairman of the Samoa National Council of Churches, Deacon Kasiano Le’aupepe, a Catholic, told the Samoa Observer.
“Taxing churches is a sensitive matter because it is not the same for all the churches in Samoa.” he said
He thinks the government will have to consider the matter very carefully.
Kasiano pointed out that the scheme presently proposed by the government targets the money given to faifeau on Sunday (alofa/peleti).
“To me, it seems like the Church ministers for the E.F.K.S (Congregational Christian Church of Samoa) and Methodist are the ones who will have to pay.”
I say this because for us in the Catholic Church, we will definitely not be paying tax because we don’t get as much as my brothers from the Methodist and E.F.K.S church.”
“We also have our own system of paying those who are in charge of conducting services in our church. I think the same goes for other churches aside from the Methodist and E.F.K.S.
“And that’s what I mean that the Ministry should look at this very carefully before they make their final report.
Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has supported the decision by the Minister of Revenue to review all existing laws on income tax.
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