Tax evader called leech, gets 30 months in prison

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Friday, May 23, 2003 | Torsten Ove

[Willie Green]

Convicted tax protester Karl Frank Kleinpaste was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison after the judge scolded him for willfully not paying taxes and filing 49 frivolous pre-trial motions designed to waste the government's time.

Kleinpaste, a former Carnegie Mellon University computer programmer, hasn't paid his federal income taxes for nine years. Last year a jury convicted him of 10 counts of failure to file taxes and making false loan applications by sending banks fake tax forms indicating he did pay.

[Outraged At FLA]

"You see, you make more, you pay more. It's pretty simple math. But, no exemptions, no deductions. Just a flat tax on gross income. That's the only fair thing."

I disagree, it is not fair. What you earn is yours. It does not belong to the Government. I believe that if you purchase something in this country, you then are beholden to pay the fee's the Government requires.

The fact that money is worthless unless you spend it, will fill the US coffers for any program they wish to spend. The fact is, if you should do not want to pay the government, you do not have to. Of course, you may have to live in a cave wearing pelts and survive on nuts and berries to NOT pay a NST, but it is your choice.

The premise the Feds can just dictate that you owe them X amount of dollars is fundementally flawed. It works against freedom itself.

[Outraged At FLA]

Umm oops:

"The fact is, if you should do not want to pay the government, you do not have to."

Should be:

"The fact is, if you do not want to pay the government, you should not have to."

[Kathleen]

Yet another American Tax Idol, this one going directly to the slammer. At least the other one scores creativity points for dreaming up the Ghandi shtick. No guts, no photo ops, apparently.

[blackdog]

Fair points. But that shows how much work they have to do in media relations. We've become an instant result society which is unwilling to spend decades of toiling away to undo the past 70 years of bad legislation that has headed our country down the road to socialism. No small task in a country drowning in remote controls and garage door buttons. Damn hard work.

[MississippiMan]

Thanks, Joe. I've tried to imagine a scenario in which genuine reform takes place. Under our current system, what we would call the "normal" channels, I cannot envision it happening. The only way it could ever happen IMHO is to clean house and send ALL new people, and people who are genuinely interested in serving, instead of joining the ruling class that currently exists.

The obvious problem is that such people cannot be elected. The establishment machine is simply too massive and powerful. And that cuts across both parties. Yes, I'm a Republican. Yes, Democrats are far worse. But I must sadly admit that at the core, the politicians of both parties are at the end of the day still politicians who virtually all put staying in office at the TOP of their priority list.

MM

[Rodney King]

If the IRS is evil, and I agree that it is, then why the hell do we still tollerate it?

I am not saying that we should. My concern is that their are individuals who are making money by selling good people bogus ideas that they can just claim "sovereign citizenship" or some such nonsense and thus get out of paying taxes. I am opposed to that, it puts good people in jail.

[Capitalism2003]

any photoshop experts here? I think it'd be funny if we can find one of those lefty "FREE MUMIA!" protest pictures and put Karl's name on the signs!:)

[whereasandsoforth]

I speak from personal experience. I was not a tax evader. I was victim of a crooked bookkkeeper. I still lay the blame firmly on myself. Too many dynamics to get into here. Nonetheless, this guy can, if he kept good records from all those years, volunteer to file his own returns. Wouldn't it be a hoot if it turns out he is due a refund. I know-I know. He paid no taxes. But stranger things have happened.

[Normal4me]

My former boss ran a construction company and got a tax audit dating back to 1992. After weeks of digging up old paperwork, he re-filed and ended up with a $900 refund.

The following year he was again under audit for the year 1995 and received an $1100 refund. The IRS found things he had missed as a taxpayer doing his own tax filings. Tells ya how screwed up and bloated the tax code is doesn't it?

[Honey West]

"Translation= I got what I wanted, let your kids and grandkids pay the price and live without freedom."

I don't think that's what he said at all. He prepared wisely for the future, while others have not.

[MineralMan]

"Frankly, I'm going to let you worry about all of this. I'm about done with it.

Translation= I got what I wanted, let your kids and grandkids pay the price and live without freedom
"

Well, I don't know how old you are, but I've been dealing with politics and working for things for over 40 years now. I'm about to retire from business and enjoy whatever's left of my life. If you have a problem with that, that's OK with me. I'll still keep my hand in political affairs, but that will not be a major thrust in my life.

I'm not going to be living on the dole. I've worked very hard to avoid that. I _will_ accept my Social Security check, thanks, but that's about it. The rest I earned and saved for myself.

Since you have no idea how much time I've put into efforts to change the way things work, you have no business talking about me. Shame on you!

[eno_]

Just a flat tax on gross income. That's the only fair thing.

Under such a system you would find a proliferation of side businesses in which to put anything that vaguely meets the desciption of an OBE.

[metesky]

Just one thing to consider. There's a lot of bad guys in prison, and they might have some other activities in mind that would involve you.

Not much of a worry once you hit your fourties. That stuff is for the young kids coming in with, as the saying goes, "not a feather on him."

[jmc813]

You've been bothering the moderators a lot today.

[Outraged At FLA]

"I'm not going to be living on the dole. I've worked very hard to avoid that. I _will_ accept my Social Security check, thanks, but that's about it."

I do not think anyone has a problem of you getting your SS check, heck, you paid for it. I think most people (probably including you), think it would have been better if the SS money would have been invested by you where you wanted, and not in the zero interest rate SS program.

[blackdog]

My mom always taught me to hold back a few juicy, big deductions which have been specifically upheld in controvercial hearings in tax court. If you make it cost them everytime they audit you, they quickly realize they need to stop aksin you questions.

One which worked well for us was the cost of travelling to a second job. We are farmers and my wife's seventy mile commute each day is completely deductible since she must travel to her second job after doing her first job here on the farm each morning.

Uninsured losses are a big one too. I know it sounds strange to hold stuff back on your returns, but if they audit you once and find the tree fruitful, they will be pickin you clean each season.