Tax Day

Letter to the Editor:

April 17th.

Tax Day is here again. Some U.S. citizens will not pay the dreaded income tax because they are unemployed, or have earned too little, are homeless, or in jail. But a large majority of my fellow citizens will obediently mail their reports and appropriate tax payments.

Not everyone. A significant number of war tax resisters, including some Grandparents for Peace members, wanting a redirection of their tax dollars, will refuse to pay all or even a part of their tax bill..

I endorse Henry David Thoreau’s philosophy of Civil Disobedience, namely: “If a thousand people were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be as violent and bloody a measure, as it would be to pay them and enable the state to commit violence and shed innocent blood.”

I think it is immoral (if not unconstitutional) that more than half of our tax dollars are used to pay for current and past wars. If instead this money were invested in peace initiatives and aid programs, we could truly build a better and more secure world.

The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee was founded in 1982 as a coalition of local, regional and national groups supportive of war tax resistance. They have prepared a”Peace Tax Return” form: Part A is for persons paying their taxes who wish to register a protest with their payment. Part B is for persons who refuse to pay some or all as a protest against for war.

Were freedom of conscience truly honored, it would not be illegal to refuse to pay for war. I quote from the NWTRCC brochure. “You have the right to protest actions by the government with which you do not agree. Using this form ( the Peace Tax Return) is an exercise of your freedom of speech.” But be careful. Do not write any message on official forms, such as the l040 form..

Is it illegal to refuse to pay taxes? Again I quote from the NWTRCC brochure. “ The .Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes “freedom of conscience” as a human right. Many who refuse to pay war taxes believe our government should recognize a conscientious objector status for war tax refusers. However, under current tax laws in the U.S., there is no legal option to send tax dollars to an organization of one’s choice rather than to the IRS, to prevent taxes being used for war. The IRS has full power to enforce collection of taxes not paid to the government,. This is usually done through letters demanding payment, but can involve seizures, such as of funds from bank accounts or salaries.”

Protesting war taxes involves risks. The Thoreau quote reminds us why we take such risks. I strongly advise consulting with the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, PO Box 150553, Brooklyn NY 11215,
1.800.269.7464, email nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org or research the NWTRCC.Aweb.

Peg McIntire, Grandparents for Peace, St. Augustine Tel 904 471 1986