insideKENT Magazine Issue 81 - December 2018 | Page 173
BUSINESS
THANK GOODNESS
FOR TAX -
OTHERWISE THERE
MAY HAVE BEEN
NO CHRISTMAS
BY RICK SCHOFIELD, PARTNER AT WILKINS KENNEDY ASHFORD
THERE ARE PLENTY OF
THINGS THAT US
ACCOUNTANTS ARE
USEFUL FOR, BUT
PLANNING FOR AND
SAVING TAXES MAKES UP
A LARGE MAJORITY OF
WHAT WE DO. IF WE
DIDN’T THEN
INDIVIDUALS AND
BUSINESSES WOULDN’T
BE ABLE TO FUNCTION
PROPERLY, NOR RUN
THEIR AFFAIRS DAY-TO-
DAY. ALSO, IF IT WASN’T
FOR TAX, THERE MAY NOT
HAVE BEEN CHRISTMAS
AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.
I am, of course, talking about the Christmas
story and Mary and Joseph’s journey to
Bethlehem. A census was ordered by Caesar
Augustus that required all residents in the
Empire to register to ensure they were paying
correct taxes. Families had to register in their
historical tribal town, rather than where they
lived. Joseph belonged to the house and line
of the royal family of David and Bethlehem
was the city of David, so a very pregnant
Mary had to travel with Joseph so that he
could declare her as his betrothed and to
register there.
It just so happens, that as well as Jesus’ mother
being engaged to a man of Bethlehem, and
that was what brought her there for the birth
of her child, it appears that an ancient
prophecy written centuries previously had
already foretold the birth of the Messiah in the
town of Bethlehem.
Taxation plays an important part of every story,
whether it is for your own individual tax
planning or for the future security of your
business. So let us not forget, as we head
towards the celebration of Christmas and the
approaching self-assessment deadline of 31st
January that if there is something enjoyable
to look forward to there is usually a tax
consequence. If you would like advice about
how you can plan your affairs more tax
effectively, why not contact Wilkins Kennedy
to see how we can help.
Local offices:
Ashford: 01233 629 255 / Canterbury: 01227 454 861
Maidstone: 01622 690 666 / Orpington: 01689 827 505
Sandwich: 01304 249 997
According to a prophecy given by Micah
around 700 BC, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, out of
you He shall come forth that is to become
Ruler in Israel. Whose goings forth have been
from of old, from the days of eternity.” Some
studies have suggested that this prophecy
predicted the birth of Jesus some 700 years
earlier and that it was Caesar’s new taxation
census which brought the prophecy into truth.
If that is the case, then it is thanks to taxation
that we are able to celebrate Christmas Day as
we know it today. Without the journey to
Bethlehem, the prophecy may have remained
unfulfilled. Perhaps the story of Christmas
would have been set in Nazareth – but as very
little is known about the town until 4th Century
AD, the event could have been documented
entirely differently.
[email protected]
www.wilkinskennedy.com
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