Posted on 04/13/2007 1:08:43 PM PDT by SmithL
SANTA CRUZ -- Tax time is here again -- for most people, anyway.
Risking frozen bank accounts and even jail time, some are refusing to pay the portion of their federal income tax they believe goes to support the military and the war in Iraq. Although the IRS doesn't release information about the number of tax scofflaws -- and local accounts say they are few -- some in Santa Cruz do defy the taxman.
Scott Kennedy, in fact, has been doing it for 30 years. Kennedy, 59, a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, has not paid a full federal tax bill since the 1970s as his way to protest war and object to the billions of dollars spent by the U.S. government on bolstering defense.
"It's a valid moral stance," said Kennedy, a former Santa Cruz mayor.
"To me, it's not just an extraordinary waste of resources, but withholding taxes is part of the effort to build a more humane world community. We're happy to pay taxes for a good purpose."
Kennedy estimates that 50 percent of his federal taxes goes to the military, and he withholds that money from the check he sends the IRS when filing his return. He includes a letter explaining his actions. However, the IRS often catches up with Kennedy and demands repayment.
On a few occasions, Kennedy has had his bank accounts seized. The IRS recently garnished Kennedy's wages, which resulted in forcing his employer, the Resource Center for Nonviolence, to pay $1,548 in unpaid federal income taxes, interest and penalties for 2005. The Resource Center complied with the IRS order by issuing a check in the full amount. The money will be taken from Kennedy's wages.
Local accountants say the number of tax resisters such as Kennedy is actually pretty small. Santa Cruz tax accountant Everett Meisser says none of his clients attempt to dodge the IRS, although plenty of them are procrastinators and file for extensions.
"I've never encountered someone who asks for war tax resistance," Meisser said.
There is no law that permits taxpayers to refuse to file a tax return or not pay taxes based on an estimate of what the government spends on programs or policies with which they disagree on moral, ethical, religious or other grounds.
The courts have repeatedly rejected arguments made by tax dodgers, said Jesse Weller, a San Francisco-based spokesman for the IRS.
"Ultimately, each of us is responsible for what is on our tax return," Weller said.
"And those who don't pay their fair share increase the taxes for everyone else who file an honest and accurate return."
Still, Santa Cruz resident Alexander Gaguine is withholding $5,000 from the amount he owes the federal government this year. As he's done for the past two years, Gaguine, 57, is protesting what he sees as the "illegal war" in Iraq through his refusal to pay what he owes the government.
"If everyone stopped paying for it, we'd come home from there," he said. "I just think it's an immoral war, an illegal war."
Gaguine also had a lien put on his bank account by the IRS and has been forced to pay interest and stiff penalties.
"I didn't respond to their warnings," Gaguine said.
Penalties for snubbing tax payments can include up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, depending on how the crime is classified.
UFB
Wouldn’t it be great if we could fund only what we value.
A bit high, I would think. I'd like to withhold the part of mine that goes to anything but military and law enforcement. That would be considerably more than 50%.
And to the retarded hippie tax cheat in the article, only about $0.22 on your tax dollar goes to defense, you just shortchanged all those welfare and entitlement programs you hold so dear.
Mmmm.... your tears sustain me.
Yippee! The rest of us that think Entitlement" programs are immoral also then don't have to pay the 75% of the federal budget that goes to those programs.
What a great idea.
Think I’ll refuse to pay my share of taxes that
supports PBS, the NEA and Planned Parenthood,
NAFTA, ACLU, Stem Cell Research, Africa Aids
Relief, PLO, ...
This will end badly.
These guys aren’t very bright. The IRS still gets their money plus the penalties.
What kind of formulation is that? Is there a law that permits me to refuse to poke my eye with a stick?
If they want to say that filing is mandatory, that's fine -- but the wording here is tortured,
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I think the IRS still prefers to go after conservative tax protestors, but you have to be really dumb to tell them that you are protesting income taxes.
It hasn’t happened recently, but just about every year at about this time they send out the black helicopters or some similar equivalent and gun down the folks who don’t pay taxes. There’s no more grievous offense in government eyes, because their own salaries are at risk.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Absolutely. If you say you don’t think income taxes are constitutional, or if you tell them you refuse to pay all your taxes like this guy, they’ll really come down on you. It’s asking for trouble.
They are doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.
1040 taxes do not pay for the military, corporate taxes do.
1040 taxes pay for interest on the national debt and for waste.
Social Security is paid by FICA.
Medicare is paid by the Medicare Tax.
Roads are paid by gas taxes.
Schools and education are paid by local taxes.
The 1040 taxes are unnecessary, unconstitutional and are snuck in as a scam on the American people for 90 years.
This is not a radical vocalization of what everyone has come to accept as ‘normal’. Personally I pay my 1040 taxes because the government has the guns. But I have a vote and the internet.
To understand the true nature of the problem, view the following film produced by an award-winning Hollywood director (you will need a high-speed internet connection). It is high quality and filled with reputable credible individuals that tie together the whole story in an entertaining and educational manner:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4312730277175242198
Watch every minute of it, all the way to the end. It is very unifying.
We all need to be aware and unified on this.
Okay. So, withhold the half that goes to defense, then double the remainder so twice as much goes to the social programs that you're so happy to pay for. Problem solved.
When you can hire an accountant to help you find every deduction to pay the least amount possible then no one really pays hteir fair share. That wont happen until we have a flat tax or a get rid of th income tax and go to a sales tax only.
Two years in Leavenworth would cure Mr. tax scofflaw.
You.. can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You say.. “Steve.. how can I be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes?”
First.. get a million dollars. Now.. you say, “Steve.. what do I say to the tax man when he comes to my door and says, ‘You.. have never paid taxes’?”
Two simple words. Two simple words in the English language: “I forgot!” How many times do we let ourselves get into terrible situations because we don’t say “I forgot”?
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