In 1773, a group of New Englanders threw a load of British tea off a boat. Why? No taxation without representation was the rallying cry. We can’t lie. We hate taxes even now. Except the catch is that we have representation so we have to reason to throw tea off a boat. Despite this, there are some people who decide to resist paying their taxes. Tax resistance comes in many forms, and has been utilized by pacifists, religious groups, and others who resist taxes for what taxes or a specific tax might represent.
For the most part, mild tax resistance usually crops up because the government is doing something a person does not agree with. For example, the war in Iraq has many opposed it and resisters refuse to pay what is known as a war tax. People who refuse to pay some or all of their taxes because they disagree with giving it to a government they do not believe is using it correctly or for other various reasons tend to avoid jail time by using redirection. Redirection is an action used to prove that tax resistance is not selfish; you are not trying to horde all your money to yourself. Instead, the tax amount you may owe is given by you to various charities and other helpful projects such as school programs, community projects, environmental protection, and other such productive means.
Some resistors may withhold very specific amounts in order to demonstrate their objection to some or all taxes. There have been people known to withhold $17.76 or a percentage of 17.76 in order to represent the Revolutionary War and our freedom from British taxation. Others have chosen to withhold $10.40 or a percentage of $10.40. This represents the most widely used tax form with the number of 1040 to show their resistance to federal taxation.
There are some methods people choose, going the legal route as much as possible to achieve tax avoidance, or simply living lifestyles that make for less taxable income. Instead of paying for gasoline and the tax on it, people might use public transportation or walk/bike to their destinations. Instead of purchasing beer, others might learn to home brew their own. There are many arguments for current taxation, anywhere from immoral actions on the part of the government (war) to the government having no legitimate claim on earned income.
The most extreme form of resistance is tax evasion. Tax evaders pay absolutely no taxes, do not offer their taxes to charities as redirection, and may earn their income through an underground economy where no taxes are involved. Tax evasion is illegal and clean lead to large fines and time in jail.
Taxes can be an annoyance, but if you do not want to pay them, you can look for alternate options such as redirection. Talking to others or seeking information online about how to legally resist taxes may not make you feel any better about losing money, but it could very well make you feel better knowing where your money is going and knowing you put it there.
