Page 6 RAIN January/February 1985 ' . War Tax Resistance by Bruce and Ann Borquist Each year at this time increasing numbers of Americans come to grips with an ugly dilemma·: they pray for peace, yet pay for war. Between 30% and 60% of our income tax goes to war-related activities, depending on who's counting. Low estimates leave out impo.rtant sectors, like the Dept. of Energy budget for nuclear weaponry, while high estimates include interest on past wars and veterans' benefits. Pick a number. For most people,. fear (of the IRS, the Russians, and others) tips the scales between morals and expediencyand they ante up again. But war tax resistance is on the increase, and Washington (and the IRS) is taking notice. This article shares two people's experiences with the issues and methods of war tax resistance, and how our government has reacted to them. War tax resisters are an incredibly diverse group, one that seems top.ave come together by need rather than choice. They span the political and moral spectrum, and often have more differenczes than similarities. Their common objection to the payment of war-related taxes is based on one of at least two major positions: one constitutional, the other moral. Constitutional war tax resisters base their objections solely on constitutional, common, and case law, usually in that order. This is a comparatively small group that reflects a wide spectrum of positions. They are usually based on legal interpretations of the role of governments and of money in society. It seems the vast majority of war tax re.$isters do so on moral grounds. They range in persuasion from fuzzily ethical to passionately religious. Arguments are based in some way on the feeling that war is murder and murder is wrong. Of course, this description oversimplifies·the issues and misrepresents nearly everyone. However, it does illuminate the diversity and the intensely personal nature of war tax resistance. It is not a "bandwagon" cause that sweeps people along in:a groundswell of enthusiasm like the anti-Vietnam war and environmental movements of the last two decades. Most war tax resisters we kno'w are up against a very scary machine called the IRS, and ~hey are alone and unarmed. They are usually quiet, calculating, even hard; people as a result. The number. of mass marches and organized groups is small compared to the numbers of people engaged in laying their dollars on the line in this movement. - · } There are as many methods of war tax resistance as there are positions on it. Thankfully, a numper of manuals have been ptinted in the last four years that give a good overview of the options and their various risks (see Resources below). While some extend their resistance process to taxes on telephone use, tobacco, and alcohol, and the·avoidance of savings bonds (remember war bonds?); most attention is spent ori responses to the biggie: income tax and the 1040 form: · No-risk methods of resistance include living lightly on incomes below taxable levels and the ,enclosing of a letter of protest with the 1040 form. Medium risk options include "war tax" deductions, c;redits, or adjustments
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz