Fatwa

Private taxi evading tax

Question

In my city, there are some vehicles with private licenses that are used as commercial taxis (which is illegal). I had to travel from my city to another, and I was waiting for the roadways bus… but after waiting for a few minutes, I didn’t find any. So, I boarded a car that had a private license but was being used as an intercity taxi. The taxi crossed through a toll plaza also during the journey.
Now, I have come to know that these vehicle owners steal tax such that: for a commercial vehicle the road tax is 50 percent more than private one, and they just pay the private tax,…(+toll tax for highway as well). I intend not to use these services again but I fear that I owe the govt. money as I have aided that taxi driver in his illegal work.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The onus is on the driver/owner of the vehicle, not you the passenger. In the future, to alleviate your own conscience, you should stick to commercial taxis.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Bilal Pandor

Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel

Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia

www.daruliftaazambia.com