so are you saying you're not paying taxes this year? let us know how that goes....

 

Actually, I know several friends like chouseal that refuse to pay the federal income tax. I applaud them and I applaud chouseal. I'd join the bandwagon, but my wife(who has a fairly decent salary) works for a company that will fire her if she refuses to pay this tax. So at this point, its not worth it.

 

By the IRS's own admission, 60+ million people in this country don't file. Despite my ardent and ongoing attempts to have someone within the IRS explain to me a) what statute actually makes me liable for the tax, b) how I can file a return without violating my Constitutional rights, and b) how and where the IRS gets the authority to tax my God-given right to make a living... I have yet to receive a substantive answer.

Folks, please re-read my post above. Either you understand the principles involved and are willing to actually make a stand beside the likes of Jefferson, Patrick "Give me liberty or give me death" Henry, John Hancock, and countless named and un-named others... or you just talk about them each July 4th, wave that flag and make yourself feel good.

In which case:

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." — Samuel Adams

I'm sorry, but I have little patience for those who readily see the consequences of making a principled stand, yet they can't see the consequences of remaining a silent bunch of sheep.

 

I don't think you're nuttier than a fruitcake, but I think you are wrong. The Constitution specifies Congress' power to impose taxes, and the Sixteenth Amendment allows for an income tax. Obviously our Federal government needs some sort of taxes to keep going, and the income tax was seen as an improvement on the personal property taxes that were in effect 100 years ago. What makes you so special that you are exempt from payingtaxes? If everyone was like you we would live in an anarchical state like The Road Warrior.

I truly believe that we pay way too much in taxes. But the solution is not to spurn the law and refuse to pay. I pay all my taxes and at the same time I communicate with my elected representatives so they know how I feel about taxes and our ever-expanding government.

 

Sorry, but the federal government doesn't keep us from going into an anarchical state. Just because there's limited federal government doesn't mean that the states governments will disappear. In fact, I would think things would improve if your state kept more of the money that was being sucked up by this cancer we call the federal government. States rights, my friend. The Feds are moving us into an authoritarian society and the only option I have is to move to another authoritarian nation.

At least if I hate the laws of the state that I'm currently living in, I can move a few hundred miles across the border to another state. Competition between corporations is a good thing, and competition between states is no exception.

I disagree. A little bit of civil disobedience is great, in my opinion, as long as its non-violent. Again, I applaud him. You talk to your representative? Let me know how that goes... I've talked to mine and only get canned responses. We the people? My ***. Its we, the interest and lobby groups backed by large corporations now.

 

Problem #1: The 16th amendment was never fully ratified. I refer you to Bill Benson's authoritative work on the subject. Google his name and The Law That Never Was.
Problem #2: The 16th Amendment is unconstitutional on its very face. The Constitution provides for two tax mechanisms: direct and indirect. Do your own homework to learn the difference and how and when and why each is applicable in a given situation. Suffice it to say, the income tax as perpetrated falls under neither category. (Even if it were ratified, your argument completely bypasses the other fundamental issue I mentioned in a post above, that the Supreme Court has declared that Congress cannot tax your God-given rights. And if I don't have a God-given right to simply make a living, support my family and benefit from the fruit of my labor, then I may as well not have any rights.)

Some "improvement." Google the Grace Commission. You'll find a document published by a commission authorized by Ronald Reagan in the mid-80s which found—and declared for all to see—that all revenues collected from individuals (not corporations) via the income tax are spent on interest on the national debt. Not a nickel goes toward services the public expects. Mind you, that's not me saying those words; that's the government itself. How do you explain the operation of the Fed Gov from 1776 to 1913? Show me a constitutionally-authorized function of the Fed Gov and I'll show you an accompanying constitutional way to fund it.

Aha, so there's your real argument. I'm a rogue, a rebel, a vigilante who "disobeys" because I disagree. What pure and ridiculous hogwash. I'm not special, and I'm not "exempt" from taxes. I pay taxes just like you do: sales taxes, property taxes, an almost unlimited list of taxes. Dispense with that nonsense, please. I just refuse to cower under threats made outside the law. If you believe there is a law requiring me to pay a tax on my labor and compensation, show me. (You'll be the first.) I have the entire Internal Revenue Code sitting right here and can quickly refer to whatever chapter/section/paragraph/page you'd like me to read. Interestingly, the word "income" is defined nowhere in this phonebook-size publication...

Again, show me the law which makes me statutorily liable. I'm not spurning anything except those who use the color of law to intimidate and coerce others into submission. That's not government of/by/for the People; that's a racket.

As someone else said, have fun with that. If you think your letters and calls amount to anything, you're living in a dream. Asking the government to reduce taxes, reduce regulation of every aspect of our lives, operate within the bounds of the laws they themselves create... that's like asking a parasite to detach itself from the host so the host can live. It's like asking a cancer to die so that health can be returned. Ain't gonna happen, because it's not in the nature of the beast. The nature of the beast is to conquer and consume.

I refuse to be conquered or consumed. If you want to give yourself to the beast, so be it. But don't blame me when you are consumed, and please don't try to shame me into joining you. I will no longer fight the beast with my right hand while feeding it from my left.

 

I just wanted to say that this is a very good point.

 

I applaud your entire post, isnt this what Wesley Snipes or someother guy tried not to long ago? You dont HAVE to pay taxes but YOU cant fight the federal government. Sure, I agree with you but if you dont pay and they audit you and THEY find that you are liable you WILL pay or they will TAKE IT from you. If you know how to get away with this then please enlighten me because I just wrote out one helluva check to these bastards.

 

Yes I can, and yes you can. Yet again, I refer you to the words of Thomas Jefferson: "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." It's time we showed them who is the master and who is the servant. If I recall, the whole thing starts with "We the People..." They may come after me, they may come after you, but they sure as hell can't come after the several hundred million of us.

They can't find me liable because there is no law. Nada, zip, zilch. Nothing in the entire Internal Revenue Code makes me liable for it as currently enforced.

I'm not getting away with anything but my God-given rights. They are the ones getting away with fraud and theft.

 

Once again, I dont disagree with you in the least but there have been cases like this that were taken down, you CANT fight the federal government. When you actually do fight them and win let me know. They dont have to fighta hundred million of us because they make points with people like you to scare off the rest of us from trying. You are speaking completley out of rational, competent thought, this is not the way government is run and they are bigger than you or me and until enough people stand up together at the same time nothing can happen. I am not willing to go to jail or spend thousands in court to prove what you are saying, my family and their well being is more important to me. I apologize if my thoughts are not put together very well or my spelling is off but I have quite a few beers in me right now...and 2 margaritias.