This paper analyzes how taxation can function as a subtle instrument of religious discrimination, using the case of Tai Ji Men as a paradigmatic example. Although international human rights law protects freedom of religion or belief, fiscal and administrative mechanisms may be deployed to pressure minority spiritual groups while maintaining an appearance of neutrality. The Tai Ji Men case shows how donations, gifts, and ritual offerings were reinterpreted as taxable income, triggering decades of legal disputes, financial penalties, asset seizures, and reputational harm. This occurred despite court rulings affirming the non‑commercial, spiritual nature of the movement's practices. The persistence of tax enforcement actions reveals structural imbalances between state power and religious minorities, raising concerns about proportionality, legal certainty, and equality before the law. Placed within a broader comparative framework, the paper argues that discriminatory taxation constitutes a form of "administrative persecution" operating below the threshold of overt repression. Such practices erode pluralism and public trust while preserving a façade of legality. The study calls for closer scrutiny of fiscal policies from a freedom‑of‑religion perspective and for safeguards to prevent the instrumentalization of tax systems against vulnerable spiritual communities.