Do the Amish pay taxes?
There are only a few things certain in life, one of which is taxes, of course. It’s that dreaded time of the year again. You may envy the Amish just a tad since you suspect they probably don’t pay taxes.
Wrong!
Amish actually do pay income taxes like any other American.
The Amish believe in following the New Testament teachings on submitting to the government whenever it doesn’t violate their traditions or their Biblical principles. They realize that Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.” (Matthew 22:21) Presumably, that also means Uncle Sam.
However, because of their belief in the community’s traditional call to help one another (including the elderly) in times of need, the Amish do have objections to paying the social security tax. They consider social security benefits a form of government welfare. In general, the Amish have chosen to be exempt from paying social security taxes.
Another reason the Amish object to paying social security taxes is to avoid obtaining a social security number. The Social Security Act does not require a person to have a Social Security number (SSN) to live and work in the United States. (source) The Amish are hesitant to have numbers assigned to them fearing it could be the “mark of the Beast” mentioned in Revelation 13:17.
Obviously, to receive social security benefits in the future, my husband and I had to apply for social security numbers when we left the Amish traditions and religion. Whether social security benefits will be available to us or not when we reach retirement age remains to be seen. But we need not fear it being connected to the mark of the Beast.
Do the Amish pay taxes? Yes, the Amish do pay taxes! However, because they do not participate in social security, they do not pay social security taxes.
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