Calculating Maaser

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Calculating Maaser

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amother

Peach

Wed, Jul 19 2017, 4:58 pm

How do you calculate Maaser?
Do you calculate pretax?
Do you calculate your paycheck that comes in to your account? If yes, what do u do about pretax deductions? (Example- transportation)
Tia

amother

Tan

Wed, Jul 19 2017, 5:45 pm

I work for the school my children attend so tuition is taken off my paycheck. I asked a shaila and was told to add in that money when calculating maaser. But ask your own shaila!

amother

Peach

Wed, Jul 19 2017, 5:49 pm

amother wrote:

I work for the school my children attend so tuition is taken off my paycheck. I asked a shaila and was told to add in that money when calculating maaser. But ask your own shaila!

Just clarifying - I should ask a shaila if I should tax my transportation to work that is pretax?

ces

Wed, Jul 19 2017, 6:23 pm

I start with my gross pay, take out taxes and give maaser on the rest (including the value of pre tax deductions such as health insurance etc). I give maaser on my tax refund if and when I get one, very but not on the taxes I pay

amother

Olive

Wed, Jul 19 2017, 7:49 pm

IME, and I am dirt poor, erring on the side of giving more tzedakah has never hurt my bottom line.

Optione

Wed, Jul 19 2017, 8:48 pm

amother wrote:

Just clarifying - I should ask a shaila if I should tax my transportation to work that is pretax?

I'm pretty sure she means the following:
If your paycheck is $1,000 and your transportation, which is pre-tax, is $200, then you'd pay $120 in maaser.

amother

Peach

Fri, Jul 21 2017, 1:07 pm

Optione wrote:

I'm pretty sure she means the following:
If your paycheck is $1,000 and your transportation, which is pre-tax, is $200, then you'd pay $120 in maaser.

Thanks! Makes sense

amother

Peach

Fri, Jul 21 2017, 1:12 pm

amother wrote:

IME, and I am dirt poor, erring on the side of giving more tzedakah has never hurt my bottom line.

This post doesn't answer my question and im not sure what dirt poor means to you.
Until recently we were in no condition to put aside a set amt of money for tzedaka.. (meaning I wouldn't have money to pay rent let alone utilities let alone food the list goes on and on...)
My financial situation has improved tremendously, BH, but it's questionable if we can afford to give full Maaser, (DH doesn't think so. He's probably right) At the very least I would like to set aside money into a "Maaser account".
That's why I'm asking. Stuffing money into this acct defeats the purpose.

I would love to give and give, IYH one day I will have that opportunity

amother

Olive

Sun, Jul 23 2017, 1:36 am

Sorry, I guess our situations might be different.

To me dirt poor = renting home, no car, many bills get paid late, no savings account, never buy clothes, sometimes just plain run out of money and can't buy ANYTHING (including diapers or food), get utilities shut off (BH not all the time!!)

Our income is not steady, that's why it may be different. Sometimes we are okay more or less, other times things are pretty rough. Still I never saw tzedakah hurt our bottom line. But we never had a reliable paycheck that we were able to budget from, so obviously not the same situation.

I heard that if things are really bad it's good to give at least 1%.

Ruchel

Mon, Jul 24 2017, 1:37 pm

Tzedaka is for all. Maasser is not if you get family, govt or communal help.

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