Tax Resistance
Rex Saxi wrote in and asked us to comment on employing tax resistance to send a message to the Maximum Leader. We confess it's a subject that we haven't explored thoroughly, but these folks have some ideas, and so does this writer. Being at heart a soak-the-rich and living-wage sort of publication, our stance is that tax resistance should be accomplish within the boundaries of the law, lest the tattered social contract begin to fray further. This is no easy task -- the resister may have to manage his or her income to remain below the poverty line -- not an inviting prospect for those capable of earning more, and living more comfortably.
However, another form of tax resistance could involve heavy charitable contributions to praiseworthy causes helping to fill the gaps compassionate conservatism fails to acknowledge. If you choose this course, research it well, obtain professional advice, and divert your capital where it will do the most good.
Meanwhile, work to encourage Federalism. The most telling tax resistance may come from states demanding an end to unfunded federal mandates and a closer match of federal tax revenue funds collected and redistributed to the contributing states.
However, another form of tax resistance could involve heavy charitable contributions to praiseworthy causes helping to fill the gaps compassionate conservatism fails to acknowledge. If you choose this course, research it well, obtain professional advice, and divert your capital where it will do the most good.
Meanwhile, work to encourage Federalism. The most telling tax resistance may come from states demanding an end to unfunded federal mandates and a closer match of federal tax revenue funds collected and redistributed to the contributing states.
posted by Antonius at 5:53 PM
2 Comments:
There are a not inconsequential number of tax resisters in the town where we used to live. One point the article you linked didn't mention, but that friends in that town mentioned, is property ownership: apparently it's pretty hard to be a tax resister if you do or want to own a house. If you haven't filed tax returns (or have filed but not paid) you probably won't get a mortgage, and if you already own the house, it's the kind of asset the feds jump on.
A couple of points: First, it's not particularly difficult to live at an income that puts you under the federal income tax line. About a third of the people who file in the U.S. do this already, most of them not because they are tax resisters but just because they aren't particularly wealthy. (Myself, I bring in about $20-$25k a year and stay under the tax line.)
Second, trying to eliminate your income tax by making a bunch of money and then giving a lot of it away to charity is much more difficult - you really do have to reduce your spending way below the poverty level to do it this way.
See my website, The Picket Line, for more information on tax resistance via income reduction: http://www.sniggle.net/Experiment/
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