Lets decompose the problem

1. Many people don’t pay taxes and therefore they can sell product cheaper as compared to those who pay taxes.

2. One has to bribe authorities to get license, permits, custom clearance etc. even when no “undue favor“ is expected in return.

3. Is keeping social relationship with those who given or take bribe a sin?

Have i understood your questions correctly?

I understand that if you have a genuine work where the tax officer will not do it without taking a bribe then you have no choice. You are asking your right and not asking any illegal favour. You give the bribe because the tax officer will not do it without it. Another example. A business man is running a plant where he needs water to run his plant. The man sitting with the valve to open the water pipe line will keep the valve shut until you bribe him. Again you are giving bribe for your rightful demands. Obviously giving bribe to get something illegal like reducing your taxes or electricity or gas consumption is totally wrong.

True, in a situation where people extort money by exploiting the others situation is not a bribe but a robbery and therefore the victim cannot be blamed for that

Bribery is something different where the Illegal or unethical benefit is also mutual.

That was an easy one. More difficult part of the question how can a business afford to pay taxes in a culture where others are not paying tax. This creates an uneven playing field that can drive the tax payers out of business.

Ok got it 👍🏻

That takes care of point 2 and 3.

Any views on point 1?

If one pays tax he goes out of business if he doesn’t, he becomes a criminal.

Which of the following options is recommended in a situation where tax payments endanger business survival:

1. Immigrate to a country with better tax culture

2. Find another business thats feasible after taxes

3. Political struggle to demand for enforcement of tax collection across the board

4. Ask customers to decide if they want a tax invoice and pay price + tax otherwise just pay the price. In that case the sin of tax evasion will be passed on to the consumer.

5. Close down the business and let the family suffer.

Certain things become acceptable under force of necessity. If other options are not doable, don’t you think instead of #5 above, one should continue doing business as per the custom of trade.

You have to pay your taxes, in any case the government will deduct the taxes from your income and this will show when you file in your annual tax returns. Yes, Ghamidi Sahib has said you can deduct your paid taxes from your Zakat and pay the difference. The taxes in our country are so high that I pay more taxes than my due Zakat!!, but I still pay Zakat whatever I can as infaq

I was talking from the point of view of a working woman! I know in business many shop keepers never give you an invoice because then it is on record. You have to pay sales tax that is your moral duty. But in our country it is very un common to get an invoice for things you have bought. The shop keepers avoid paying sales tax

Sales tax or VAT is a tax on consumer. If a shop keeper doesn’t give sales invoice most likely he is selling his product cheaper than those who are giving a tax invoice. So both the business and the consumer are buddy in the crime. Business get more customers by making any tax payers businesses go bust and customers get cheaper product as they do not have to pay taxes.