Comments (15)

• Christopher Hettinger

  Thank goodness I am not old enough to pay income tax. =)

  Published: April 13, 2007 1:37 AM

• JCR

  The illustration is so good; how much is the T-Shirt: The IRS "Because We Can"?

  Published: April 13, 2007 5:47 AM

• David White

  Unfortunately, just as the American people have been brainwashed into pledging allegiance to an "indivisible" nation that was founded on the exact opposite principle, so have they been brainwashed into believing what Oliver Wendell Holmes said:

  "Taxes are what we pay for civilized society."

  Published: April 13, 2007 7:14 AM

• Francisco Torres

  Many people are so brainwashed, that they even redefine the concept of "robbery" so it does not apply to government, mentioning such non sequiturs as "legitimacy", as if voting thughs into office gave "legitimacy" to the act of taking property by coercion.

  Published: April 13, 2007 8:57 AM

• steve

  Unfortunately, the robbery does not stop at the income tax. If that was all they stole, and more importantly, all they were going to steal, I would be forever greatful! One thing that I have to admit is that the state is superior to all others in robbery. The exploits of the most famous thief cannot compare to what the state has taken.

  Published: April 13, 2007 9:09 AM

• David White

  No, the robbery doesn't stop at the income tax, but it is surely the most pernicious one, given the added crime of withholding. And this in-the-know-gentlemen surely understood it:

  "I don't like the income tax. Every time we talk about these taxes we get around to the idea of 'from each according to his capacity and to each according to his needs.' That's socialism. It's written in the Communist Manifesto. Maybe we ought to see that every person who gets a tax return receives a copy of the Communist Manifesto with it so he can see what's happening to him." -- T. Coleman Andrews, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, U.S. News & World Report, May 25, 19

  Published: April 13, 2007 9:14 AM

• Matt

  I'm thinking of starting a comedy show, which will consist entirely of readings from the IRS tax code. I had to laugh when I saw that yes, illegal drug deals should be reported on your 1040. And if I should ever need to pay ransom for a kidnap victim, that is deductible. Someone needs to write that into a Hollywood movie, a fake kidnapping for the tax deduction. Also, reforestation of a property is deducible. Perusing the helpful guide gives a wealth of decision distorting information. For instance, I think I could buy a rental property and have it operate tax free if I cut down the wood to heat the building and then deducted the reforestation costs.

  I am now convinced that the number one law libertarians should work to pass is to make taxes due on November 15th.

  Published: April 13, 2007 9:59 AM

• Tim Kern

  I would post a comment, but I'm too intimidated.

  Published: April 13, 2007 10:36 AM

• jason

  I hate filing my taxes. I have not done so for last year, and seriously debating not doing so.

  Published: April 13, 2007 12:37 PM

• Angelo Mike

  The IRS would be powerless to stop a massive tax revolt. It's mostly a bluff. They've scaled back their efforts to get tax evaders (they won't even use terminology like that anymore, since it sounds too loaded) despite getting lots more guns.

  Everyone has a duty not to pay taxes.

  Published: April 13, 2007 1:52 PM

• Matt

  That many taxpayers treat a tax refund as a bonanza is just another example of how far removed the payment of taxes is from the cost of government and the nature of the services it delivers. And it's another reason why the National Taxpayers Union, a non-profit, non-partisan organization devoted to lower taxes and smaller government, is working with Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, an eight-term Republican from Maryland, to move the tax filing date closer to national elections.
  http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=a0CcJ1neV1Ks&refer=columnist_baum

  Published: April 13, 2007 2:39 PM

• Donald Lingerfelt

  There is a reason that the "income" tax is "voluntary". First, we must sign the back of the form in order to make it a "return". Without the signature the IRS and the courts declare that it is not a "return" from which a tax liability can be determined. In order for the the entries on the return to be declared valid, honest and holdable in court (mainly to prosecute you for entering false information) it must be signed under penalty of perjury, which can't be done if the return is forced upon us. Therefore, it must be declared as a voluntary act on the part of the "taxpayer", not an involuntary act coerced by someone (including the government). As it stands, we must volunteer or else. There are various laws that pertain at this point, but in my opinion, it isn't worth it to fight. I did and even though I beat them, I don't recommend it. They have a lot more money than you do.

  Published: April 13, 2007 6:22 PM

• David White

  Donald Lingerfelt,

  It's purely a numbers game, as the state is ultimately powerless when enough people refuse to support it. Thus did Thoreau compare the state to a "lone woman" -- http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil2.html -- the only question being how many men (male or female) there are who will stand up to her.

  Thank you doing so. You give me hope.

  Published: April 13, 2007 6:42 PM

• Henry Miller

  Unfortunately we have withholding. I have no ability to protest taxes by not paying them - my boss pays my taxes for me. However my boss doesn't know how much I will really owe (and in fact I won't either until the end of the year when I add in all my deductions), so he pays a little extra. Then I file my return to get that extra back.

  They have made a tax revolt impossible. The number of people who could participate is small enough that they can get them all.

  Published: April 13, 2007 11:11 PM

• Mr.huh?

  There's a really great book that I have called "Unusually Stupid Americans: A Compendium of All-American Stupidity" by Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras that has a lot of chapters about stupid CEO's and stuff, but also a chapter on "Stupid Law and Lawyers in the U.S.A." (complete with a list of ridiculous warning labels) and also a chapter on "Stupid Government and Bureaucracy in the U.S.A." and "Stupid in the U.S.A.", which itself lists some of the most ridiculous tax rules by the I.R.S. Take a look at these gems:

  "For purposes of paragraph (3), an organization described in paragraph (2) shall be deemed to include an organization described in section 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) which would be described in paragraph (2) if it sere an organization described in section 501 (c) (3)."

  -section of the Internal Revenue Code

  "You will find it a distinct help...if you know and look as if you know what you are doing."

  -IRS training manual fortax auditors

  "Bribes and kickbacks to government officials are deductible unless the individual has been convicted of making the bribe or has entered a plea of not guilty or nolo contendere."

  -item in the IRS official taxpayer's guide

  "Many taxpayers wil be inconvenienced by the hostilities [of thermonuclear war] and will have to be excused from paying the normal rate of interest on their debts."

  -IRS study

  Published: April 14, 2007 12:27 AM