My local news reported last night that if you do not answer questions on the census the government passed a law that makes you pay a $100 fine for every question not answered and $500 for each false answer - anybody know anything about this? Is it for real?
That should be on the census form then. Is it?
How they going to know I am answering wrong? Oh wait, they can check such with the IRS. Oh double wait, why the frak am I filling out a census then if they can get what they need to know from their IRS databases? =.=
My census form says nothing about “mandatory, fine, or penalty” anywhere, therefore, answering one question shouldn’t be a problem. They can’t fine you without using any of the aforementioned wording. If the fines are true, there’s no mention of it, so.. ignorance is bliss.
Zero.
Are you so important that FedGov is going to make you the first person ever prosecuted?
http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/13C7.txt
SUBCHAPTER II - OTHER PERSONS
-End-
-CITE- 13 USC Sec. 221 01/05/2009
-EXPCITE- TITLE 13 - CENSUS CHAPTER 7 - OFFENSES AND PENALTIES SUBCHAPTER II - OTHER PERSONS
-HEAD- Sec. 221. Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers
-STATUTE- (a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.
(b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body.
SUBCHAPTER III - PROCEDURE
-End-
-CITE- 13 USC Sec. 241 01/05/2009
-EXPCITE- TITLE 13 - CENSUS CHAPTER 7 - OFFENSES AND PENALTIES SUBCHAPTER III - PROCEDURE
-HEAD- Sec. 241. Evidence
-STATUTE- When any request for information, made by the Secretary or other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof, is made by registered or certified mail or telegram, the return receipt therefor or other written receipt thereof shall be prima facie evidence of an official request in any prosecution under such section.