Reverend Graveney Bannister, a former magistrate, is putting a case for a tax ease on inherited homes.
He referenced the rising cost of living, last week’s revelation of an increase in electricity bills and earlier news that telephone bills would be higher next year, during a call for abolition of the tax.
Bannister said that for many families, the home represented decades of work, sacrifice and saving and was more than a property.
He said Barbados could learn from the proposal by the conservative United Kingdom opposition supporting the abolition of tax on homesteads inherited by children and grandchildren.
“The proposed abolition of tax on homesteads inherited by children and grandchildren, along with other concessions, deserve serious consideration elsewhere. [It has] a broader concern for us here in a small island,” the Anglican priest told the congregation of St George Parish Church yesterday.
He was delivering the sermon Our Responsibilities To The State And Our Higher Responsibility To God, when he spoke about the issue of taxing inherited homes.
“It is security, belonging and family memory. When a loved one leaves a home to the next generation, families should not face unreasonable financial pressure that threatens their ability to preserve that legacy. If properly designed and implemented, tax relief on eligible inherited homesteads could help families preserve their homes and protect their inheritance.
“Other concessions should also be examined to determine whether they would ease the burden on ordinary households and support economic opportunity,” he said.
However, he added, there were questions of who will benefit, how will the measures be financed, whether they will be fair, sustainable and genuinely helpful to ordinary Barbadians.
Bannister, who preached the theme in three services at the church, urged listeners to judge proposals by their merits and not by the political party presenting them.
“The Christian question is whether they promote fairness, dignity, justice and the common good. Behind every tax policy are real people, families and hopes for a better future,” he said.
The cleric advised that as citizens, Barbadians should obey just laws, pay taxes and contribute to the country’s development.
“Taxes fund health care, education, roads . . . , national security and other essential services. We cannot demand good public services while refusing to contribute our fair share. Government, however, also has responsibilities. Public officials must manage funds wisely, eliminate waste, promote fairness and ensure that taxation does not place unreasonable burdens on those least able to pay.”
Bannister warned though that paying taxes did not mean a surrendering of the right to question Government policy.
“In a democracy, citizens must ask whether public money is being spent responsibly and whether decisions serve the common good. Accountability is not disloyalty; it is responsible citizenship.”
His sermon was based on Matthew 22:21 which states: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.”
In the account, he said the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by asking whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar.
“The people lived under Roman rule and many resented paying taxes to a foreign authority. If Jesus opposed the tax, He could be accused of rebellion; if He supported it, He risked alienating those who opposed Roman rule,” Bannister preached.
“Jesus acknowledged our obligations to earthly authorities while making clear that government does not possess unlimited authority over our lives. We have responsibilities to the State, but our ultimate allegiance belongs to God.” ( AC)