So, thanks to whatever powerful opiate seems to paralyze Washington these days, the power of the purse that Senator Feingold so eloquently invoked Tuesday is no longer on the table. Congress has chosen to neglect its Constitutional responsibility to end an ill-begotten war that has outworn any shred of legitimacy it was once mistakenly thought to have.
As Feingold reminded his colleagues, "The power of the government rests with the people." He was referring to the powerful statement made by the people and for the people on November 7. The fact is, though, we have more than the power of the vote. We have the power of the purse: our own purses.
Anti-war tax resistance is a tradition long practiced by opponents to war. A star-studded list of radical heroes signed on to become tax resisters in April, 2003 at the launching of this disastrous and illegal war. But anyone can do it. Simply put, the conscience of anti-war tax resisters prohibits them from contributing financially to war or weapons arsenals.
There are a couple of strategies:
- reduce one's income so low that it is not taxable.
- refuse to pay a symbolic amount of one's taxes, e.g. $1 or $10.40.
- determine what percentage of income taxes (this is different from the percentage of the discretionary budget) is spent on war and weapons; explicitly withhold that percentage of one's federal taxes and invest it in international aid, relief, sustainable development. Show documentation of this "alternative investment".
- Don't file taxes.
- Refuse to pay the phone tax (no longer a possibility). A 3% excise tax on long distance phone bills was first invoked as a war tax in 1898, and like most such regressive taxes, stuck around--for over 100 years. Amazingly, however, it was rescinded last year!! Maybe tax resistance works!
Anti-war tax resistance is far different from right-wing crank tax protest that denies the legitimacy of government's power to tax (hello, social contract??). And, I believe, it is treated far more kindly by the authorities.
How kind is "kind"? Criminal prosecution for war tax resisters is rare. Between the beginning of the war tax resisters movement in WWII (that doesn't count Thoreau) until 2004, only 1 person was jailed, in 1946. Three more were made examples of in 2004; they each received 6 to 27 months. This is out of an estimated 2 to 10 thousand people who engage in war tax resistance each year.
Usually, the IRS will attempt to collect fines:
Those who file but refuse to pay will probably get several tax due notices, adding on civil penalties in the 5 to 25% range, plus compound interest at a rate around 10%. If your resistance is token (e.g., say $1), the interest and penalties will not amount to very much even after several years.
Nonfilers may go undetected, but if the IRS catches up with them, they may find stiffer penalties imposed, with no statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for filers is 10 years beyond the date of assessment (which is often a few months after filing). A false or inflated W-4 form, or a return claiming an unallowable deduction or credit affecting the calculation of tax due, may lead to an additional $500 penalty.
The IRS considers their notices and threatening letters their most effective tax collection tool. However, sometimes they do proceed beyond their threatening notices
-from the War Resisters League website
According to WRL,
Once the IRS "assesses" a specific amount for a given year and at least ten days have passed since a "final demand," its power of collection includes levy (seizure) of wages, bank accounts and other property (such as — in very rare instances for war tax resisters — cars and houses).
Some people put some of their nonpaid taxes into the war tax penalty fund. This fund exists to help people who are effectively pursued by the IRS. It pays the fines and interest only; not the original owed amount.
The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee provides resources for those who are interested in using the power of their purse to resist this war.
As Mahatma Gandhi wrote,
He or she who supports a State organized in the military way – whether directly or indirectly – participates in the sin. Each man old or young takes part in the sin by contributing to the maintenance of the State by paying taxes.