Pensacola News JournalのAngela Failによる2006年10月18日付の記事「Evangelist's trial begins: Dinosaur Adventure Land owner, wife face 58 counts of tax fraud」で、
But rather than accepting his responsibility as an employer, Hovind hid behind terminology, Heldmeyer said.
He called his employees "volunteers," "missionaries" or "ministers," she said. Wages were referred to as "gifts" or "love offerings."
Employees then became responsible for paying Hovind's portion of the income tax, she said.
And though the Hovinds refer to their business as a ministry, it's not affiliated with a church, she said.
"It's not a church," she said. "But that doesn't matter, because a church still has to pay payroll tax."
「しかし、雇う側としての責任を認めるよりも、Hovindは用語の背後に隠れた。Hovindは従業員を"ボランティア"とか"宣教師"とか"聖職者"と呼んだ。賃金は"贈り物"とか"愛の提供"と呼ばれた。これによりHovindが払うべき税金を、従業員が払うことになった。Hovindは事業を奉仕(ministry)としていたが、教会に加わってはいない。それは教会ではない。しかし、それは問題ではない。教会も税金を払わなければならないからだ」とMichelle Heldmeyer検事は言った。
[via Nick Matzke: Dr. Dino in the Dock on Panda's Thumb]
宗教になれば税金を払わずにすむというのは、Kumicitを含め誰もが思いつくネタ。でも、本気でここまでやるHovind級はそうはいないだろう。
