Does anyone not pay their Federal Taxes as a protest to war?

[Postman]

One of my friends doesn't pay the tax on his phone bill and has told them the reason why.

It may be a small act but I guess it's his way of protesting.

[uppityperson]

1. no. I protest in other ways but pay my taxes.

It would be nice if there could be a place to designate what to spend it on though.

[liberaldemocrat7]

10. I have a better way to protest this illegal war.

General Electric corporation donates money to the GOP. General Electric makes defense products as well as consumer products.

To protest this war contact General Electric at www.ge.com and tell them that you will not ever buy their products until the GOP holds a press conference announcing that congress passed a resolution ending the war in Iraq.

"Let the friends of the GOP suffer at the cash registers for the bad behavior of the GOP."

By protesting my way, you will not get arrested for not paying taxes. You will not get arrested for protesting at a antiwar protest but you will hurt the bottom line of GE a friend og the GOP.

Do not buy GE stoves, overns, refriegerators, tvs, stereos, light bulbs, dvd players, etc.

Spread the word.

[demosincebirth]

20. I know a couple of guys, about 15 years ago, that were not

paying their federal taxes because they were protesting something at the time. Well, guess what? they are paying their taxes now, and also paid all back taxes that they owed before..to keep themselves out of FCI Dublin, CA

[maxsolomon]

2. its not really a choice, is it?

the phone company is OK with that?

[MrCoffee]

3. You could, but if you get busted, protest is no defense for nonpayment

And the court will find you guilty. And they'll lien your house.

[Postman]

13. I don't know how it works....

if you would go before a Judge or if you would have a Jury.

I would find him Not-Guilty.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

14. You could request a jury.

It's one of our civil liberties (unless that's gone too now).

[cobalt1999]

4. it's also illegal.

IRS has long ago put an end to that form of protest. You'll end up paying the taxes, penalties, and interest, then throw in the potential for jail.

[mcscajun]

5. Nope, and I'll wager the phone company isn't amused.

They won't care what part of his bill he isn't paying or why, just that he's continuously in arrears for an ever increasing amount owed to them.

It's not like they're not turning over all the taxes owed to the Federal government, whether they collect them or not.

As to the larger question, the courts don't look at a protest as any defense of a taxpayer's failure to pay.

[Birthmark]

6. I hope NOone does that.

That's illegal and will land them in jail.

[TwilightZone]

7. That'll work until they turn off his phone.

Which they will, eventually.

He might also manage to ruin his credit for a couple of bucks of protest.

Tell him to organize an anti-war rally or two. Less trouble financially and someone might actually know about it.

[Postman]

8. He's already got bad credit...

He still has his phone and the IRS has garnished his wages already.

That doesn't stop him.

He was arrested in the White House during the Vietnam War for getting out of the visitation line, kneeling down and praying for an end to the war in Vietnam as a protest.

He's an ex-Catholic Worker.

[unblock]

9. it's NOT a form of protest. it's selfish greed, masquerading as protest

a protest involves GIVING UP your time and/or money for a cause.

it does not involve TAKING money that dose not legally belong to you.


note, in particular, that the objections are usually to how the money is SPENT, not that it is being collected at all. so a proper protest would object to the SPENDING, not to the TAXING.

[Postman]

12. well if they don't HAVE it they can't SPEND it.

actually what he does is he doesn't pay the the percentage of tax commensurate with the percentage of the Federal Budget that the Pentagon receives.

[spanone]

11. I would not invite that shit to rain down on me. Their power is awesome.

[peacetalksforall]

15. Think roads, police, teachers, good govt employees. Therefore,

pay them. But I sure wish we could have a set of exclusions - such as "here are my taxes, but I don't want them to go to invasions of countries in imperialitic acts of takeover". Or, here are my taxes, I only want them to be spent on roads, poiice, teachers, good govt employees (with details) but not my Republican Senator. I know, I know, it would have to be organized in a list with check marks. If exclusions were possible, I'd feel better.

No taxes for killing innocents and no undercutting the supplies of our soldiers and no taxes for torment and torture of human beings. Etc. etc. etc.

[GeorgeGist]

16. Not that I know of, but...

there's plenty of rich people who don't pay Federal Taxes that support the war.

[w4rma]

17. Bad, the goverment will just take them from you later with interest. (nt)

[ThomWV]

18. Shit! Have You Ever Seen What Happens When You Don't Pay

Have you ever had the IRS on your ass?

I can tell you it is not pleasant, not at all.

You try not paying your taxes and they will take over your life and it will not be to your benefit, I can absolutly assure you of that.

[Canuckistanian]

19. Henry David Thoreau is dead

And his memory is long forgotten after the IRS came into being.

[no_hypocrisy]

21. I would, except I keep getting images of IRS agents kicking down my

door without a warrant and being hauled off to a secret IRS tribunal.

[uppityperson]

22. Story, Link here to not paying phone tax

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/04/BUGG2G1PMA1.DTL

Thousands of people are protesting the war in Iraq by refusing to pay federal phone taxes -- and in many cases, phone companies are helping them do it. So-called tax resisters risk the wrath of the Internal Revenue Service. Yet that hasn't stopped them from withholding payment of the monthly federal excise tax on their phone bills, proceeds from which are used in part to fund the United States' military adventures abroad....
(clip)
As it turns out, most phone companies aren't shedding any tears over missed federal excise tax payments. It's not that they sympathize with protesters' feelings about the war. They just don't like the tax.

"We think it's antiquated and has no place in a modern economy," said Joe Farren, a spokesman for telecom industry group CTIA (formerly the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, but now just a meaningless acronym)."We think this tax is outrageous and shouldn't be assessed," he said.

The federal excise tax on phone usage dates back to 1898. It was adopted under the War Revenue Act as a temporary levy to help fund the Spanish-American War. The war ended in October of that year. The tax was repealed in 1902 but didn't stay gone for long. It was reintroduced during World War I and was subsequently used to fund the nation's military activities during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War....(more@link, including which phone companies will write this off if you ask-ATT for example)

The tax was given permanent status in 1990 and now stands at 3 percent of a consumer's monthly phone bill. It raises about $6 billion a year for general federal expenditures, including military spending.

Aspects of the federal excise tax have been challenged in a series of recent court decisions. Nevertheless, the IRS still insists that it be paid in full.