http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=8597Muslim second wives may get a tax break
26-12-2004
By Nicholas Hellen, Social Affairs Editor
The Sunday Times:
THE Inland Revenue is considering recognising polygamy for some religious groups for tax purposes. Officials have agreed to examine “family friendly” representations from Muslims who take up to four wives under sharia, the laws derived from the Koran.
Existing rules allow only one wife for inheritance tax purposes. The Revenue has been asked to relax this so that a husband’s estate can be divided tax-free between several wives.
The move is bound to create controversy if it leads to a change in the rules. It is seen as a breakthrough by Muslim leaders who have been campaigning to incorporate sharia into British domestic law.
Ahmad Thomson, of the Association of Muslim Lawyers, said: “Wives and immediate children should be exempt from inheritance tax. If the government is family friendly they should change a tax which is unfairly hitting minority religious values.”
Any concession by the Revenue could open a wider debate about the legality of plural marriages. At present a person married to more than one people can be charged with bigamy.
Muslim marriages to second, third and fourth wives are not valid in civil law, with the women effectively regarded as mistresses with no legal or tax rights.
However, some official bodies have already pointed out that tax laws are unfavourable to religious groups that recognise more than one spouse.
Moeten wij het hier ook zover laten komen? Nee
Aan de andere kant, belasting HEFFEN op illegale of anderszins minder appetijtelijke zaken (denk aan hasjhandel en prostitutie) wordt in Nederland normaal gevonden en geaccepteerd.
Welke argumenten zijn er om zo'n belastinghervorming NIET te willen?