not "Friends" of the IRS

dys, I saw this on Yahoo news, and even without having read it, I knew what the situation was. It is my hope that the IRS will forgive her the unpaid part of her taxes, but again we are faced with tenets vs. state.

Joan Baez refused to pay the military portion of her taxes at one time. I think she just payed fines, but don't recall for certain.

edgar, Sounds familiar. I think you're right. c.i.

IMO opinion anyone who, refuses to pay their fair share of the taxes should be hauled up in front of a judge fined and if need be jailed. As for that lady pay or make friends with a prison jump suit.

Thoreau

I agree with au1929!

1) Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation pays only 6 percent tax worldwide, despite being a sprawling behemoth. The sooner we get prison jumpsuits for corporations, the sooner we can stop nickle-and-diming individuals into not caring anymore.

2) The problem with individual income tax is that anyone can pay a little extra consulting fee, and reduce their "fair share" of the taxes to almost nothing.

3) Also, it's very difficult to know what "fair" is, when elected officials listen mostly to campaign donors, and voting is a waste of time because Washington is bought and paid for by the only voters who matter: legal entities that are not actually human beings. There are 25 million corporations in the U.S., most of which are simply tax shelters.

When "By the people, for the people" no longer exists, then what is the fair amount to extract from the people?

4) Also, what is our "fair" share of murder, thievery, cultural destruction, and international bullying? What would be a "fair" amount to pay for such valuable things?

5) Money Magazine did a survey of 30 tax preparers ranging from CPA's, bookkeepers, H&R Block, and even former IRS employees. Using a simple test case of a family of four with average income, the thirty tax preparers came up with thirty wildly different results (from $4,000 refund to $10,000 owed). No two returns were the same, yet every result within that range was legal, credible, and "fair". So pay your fair share! You know the number. I challenge *anyone* to do it, if such a thing was physically possible.



Anyone who doesn't have a clear answer should be thrown in jail. America has the highest rate of imprisonment, and that's what we do best.

Oh hell, the whole tax code is screwed up so much nobody can figure out what the right tax liability is anyway. Instead of adding more pages to the tax code, they need to burn the one they have and start from square one. c.i.

Oh, but then all the tax accountants would be out of jobs!
Hahaha!!!

and most of the irs. they're useless anyway. most of them don't know the right answer to tax questions.

Wouldn't it be great though if we could decide where our tax dollars go. Mine would all come back to me :-D (Only kidding, sort of).

Paying taxes comes with being a citizen. Anyone who doesn't agree with their taxes should emmigrate to somewhere without taxes, like parts of the Middle East. Either that or vote for someone else in the next election.

"Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? ...I do not hesitate to say, that those who call themselves abolitionsists should at once effectively withdraw their support, both in person and property, from the government of Massachusetts, and not wait till they constitute a majority of one, before they suffer the right to prevail through them ...Moreover, any man more right than his neighbors, consitutes a majority of one already."
Henry David Thoreau

Wise words, dys. However, I don't like the idea of having to live in a bare cabin in the woods. It's not my style. I'm afraid I might have to do that if I went up against the IRS!

Eva, your own words clearly say that this is a fear. That's all it really is, an emotion that has you trapped into a behavior.

The facts of the matter is that although I've been working, I haven't filed income tax returns for the last nine years. Occassionally, the IRS siezes my checking account so I keep the balances low, but otherwise nobody forces me to live in a cabin.

Fear is overwhelming within our society and keeps most people obedient. But even when confronted with strong enforcement, folks still have the option to negotiate their tax bill. If you don't have the money, make them an offer. Many times the IRS will settle for pennies on the dollar just because they know something is better than nothing. I still get junk mail from lawyers every two days offerring this valuable service.

When the IRS and the government becomes more rational and realistic, I'll go along with their ridiculous demands, but until then I'm content to live in a nice house, with a normal hard-working lifestyle, and just see how it goes. The facts have a nice way of reducing fear.

SkisOnFire
IMO the only house you should be living in is the big house.

There are so many different opinions out there, I guess that's why so many people make decisions based on fear instead of reality.

I admire Priscilla Adams for doing what she believes is right despite the criticism she's bound to get. It takes courage to think, act, and be that honest.

Uh, "courage"...well, that's one word for it. Doesn't sound very wise to me. But I guess we've all gotta choose our battles. This just isn't one of mine.

civil disobedence is a thorny issue.

I'm honest because it's easier. The thing that alarms me is all the hidden taxes. If you total them up, plus state taxes