Do I Have to Pay Income Tax for My Family in Canada?


Shafi'i Fiqh

Answered by Shaykh Shuaib Ally

Question: Assalam alaykum,

If I work outside of Canada, but my family lives there, would I still have to pay the income taxes?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

One is required to obey the legal injunctions of the country in which he holds status, even if doing so causes some form of difficulty. This general ruling holds so long as obedience does not specifically contravene Islamic precepts or law; that is, it orders you to do something impermissible.

A fuller answer has been previously articulated by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam here:

Obeying the Law of the Land in the West

Shuaib Ally