How To Resist War Taxes
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.
Summarized below are a few war tax resistance methods. Detailed descriptions can be found in WRL’s War Tax Resistance: A Guide to Withholding Your Support from the Military and through war tax counselors. Contact the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) for counselors in your area. The probability of collection or prosecution varies among the methods; all — except #4 — are illegal. Serious consideration must be given before embarking on these types of resistance.
1) File and refuse to pay your taxes. This involves filling out an IRS income tax return (e.g., Form 1040) and refusing to pay either a token amount of your taxes (e.g., $1, $9.11, $100), some “military” portion (approximately 1% for nuclear warheads, 4% for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 30% for current military spending, 50% for current and past military spending combined — see WRL’s pie chart for the latest percentages), or the total amount (since a portion of whatever is paid goes largely to the military). Include a letter of explanation with the return.
2) File a blank IRS 1040 income tax return with a note of explanation.
3) Don’t file any Federal income tax returns.
4) Earn less than the taxable income. However, it is important to organize and speak out on war tax resistance in order to publicize why you have choosen to keep your income low. Also, write letters to the IRS, newspapers, politicians, friends, and relatives.
5) Resist telephone taxes. A number of federal excise taxes are also included in the Federal Budget. These include tobacco and alcohol taxes. But the federal telephone tax has historically been the most clearly related to the ups and downs of military spending. To refuse the federal excise tax, simply subtract that amount from your monthly telephone bill and include a note of explanation to the phone company each time you pay the bill. The phone company is required (by FCC regulations) credit your bill and report this amount to the IRS, but not cut off your telephone service. For more information, see the Hang Up on War! campaign to resist telephone tax (initiated Nov. 2003).
Stopping the Withholding System
One of the difficulties with resisting taxes is getting the opportunity to do so. Most people receive their income in the form of wages that are subject to withholding before an employee even sees the paycheck. Listed below are some ways to minimize the problems posed by withholding.
1) W-4 resistance. Each employee must fill out a W-4 form with her or his employer. The W-4 form determines the amount of money to be withheld from each paycheck. The more allowances (you, dependents, anticipated itemized deductions, etc.) claimed, the less withheld. In the past, all that could be claimed on a W-4 form was yourself and dependents, making those who inflated the form more easily subject to fraud charges.
