Samoa church ministers

This measure is considered one of the key reasons the FAST Party won the election.

MPs were told on Monday there are seven amendments being made to the Income Tax Act.

The Samoa Observer reports the chief executive of the Ministry of Revenue, Matafeo Avalisa Fautuaalii, saying the tax of church ministers, which started in 2018, had earned nearly half a million dollars, [$480,000] by October this year.

All of the 39 church denominations in Samoa accepted the previous government's tax law, except the largest denomination, the Congregational Christian Church Samoa.

The matter was called today for hearing of stay of proceedings and quash of charges applications.

But the preliminary hearing did not go ahead after the lawyer for the defendants asked for the applications to be withdrawn.

Several church elders as well as the chairman and his deputy are among the first group of twenty ministers facing criminal charges filed by the Ministry of Revenue.

They are refusing to pay the tax on their monthly earnings from contributions given by church members.