War tax resistance has received more news coverage already this year than in all of 2016. I’m thrilled that we’re being sought out! Many articles are spreading beyond the original source, by being summarized or reblogged on other websites. This is leading to some misinformation that I want to clear up:
- The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee has existed since 1982. We didn’t start with Trump, and we won’t end with Trump. We oppose militarism under every administration.
- NWTRCC has no affiliation, overt or covert, with the Democratic Party! War tax resisters have a variety of political perspectives and affiliations, but we share an interest in furthering peace and justice, rather than militarism, with our tax dollars.
- While we pointed out the statements of tax resistance from Mia Farrow and Gloria Steinem in our press release, neither woman is affiliated with NWTRCC or has made any direct contact with us.
- Articles that portray war tax resistance as a certain route to jail time are inaccurate. The most common consequences are receiving letters from the IRS and having salary or bank account balances seized by the IRS to pay back tax bills. Out of hundreds of thousands of war tax resisters since World War 2, we know of fewer than 30 who spent time in jail or prison related to war tax resistance. In most cases, the jail time was not directly due to the refusal to pay, but due to filing inaccurate tax returns or refusing to provide information to the IRS. We urge resisters to learn about the potential consequences of their chosen style of resistance.
Sam Koplinka-Loehr in Philadelphia on January 21. Photo courtesy of Sam Koplinka-Loehr and Camellia Tenutobanner
And now, catch up on this year’s best coverage of war tax resistance!
- Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox (audio) — War Tax Resistance with Sam Koplinka-Loehr (Feb. 21) Click “Listen to the Archive Here” partway down the page.
- MarketWatch — What happens when you refuse to pay taxes for 40 years? (Feb. 21)
- WMNF Tampa — Radioactivity with Rob Lorei, interview with WTR Robert Randall. (Feb. 21) Use this link to listen; choose the 2-21 show in the right column.
- AM 740 KTRH, Houston — Trump Tax Resistance Growing (text of interview) (Feb. 16)
- The Guardian – We Will Not Pay: the Americans withholding their taxes to fight Trump by Joanna Walters (Feb. 15)
- The Cap Times – Good reasons for tax resistance are piling up by Bill Berry (Feb. 6)
- vocativ — Death Of Taxes: An Old Protest Tactic Revived For A New President by Allee Manning (Feb. 1)
- Popular Resistance — Tax Protest: Refusing to Pay Income Taxes in the Trump Era, NWTRCC Press Release (Feb. 2)
- Countercurrents.org — Divest from War, Invest in People by Kathy Kelly (Jan. 30)
Did we miss any good ones? Let us know in the comments!
Post by Erica
