Resist the Warmongers.

War Tax Resistance

Resisting war taxes is really very simple — don’t pay all the tax due on your annual Federal income tax form, or don’t pay the Federal excise tax on telephone bills, or both.

Direct action for peace often entails exposure to unpredictable risks. War tax resistance is no exception. Though getting a notice from the IRS is very likely, jail is virtually unknown for war tax resisters


IRS Notices and 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.

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