Dave Ramsey says: If businesses want to tithe, base it off profits not gross

Dear Dave,

My wife and I are Christians, and we own a successful small business in our town. Should businesses tithe?

— Barker

Dear Barker,

This is a good question. Giving is never a bad idea unless you do it irresponsibly and to the point of putting your family in financial danger.

To the best of my knowledge, the Bible only addresses the topic of tithing by individuals, not businesses.

Personally, I don’t give a tenth of my business gross or net until I receive my paycheck. When that happens — meaning it’s profit that I’m going to pay taxes on, or it’s salaried income out of my business — I tithe on the profits.

So, I can’t really tell you I’ve found Biblical instruction to give a tenth of your business. Hope this helps!

— Dave

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