What Is War Tax Resistance?

Very simply, it is refusal to pay some or all of federal taxes that pay for war. In the U.S. war tax resisters choose to refuse some or all of their federal income tax and/or the federal excise tax on local telephone service. Income taxes and excise taxes are deposited by the government into the general fund and at least half of those monies help to pay for the military budget, including all types of weapons of war and weapons of mass destruction.

Individuals take many roads to war tax resistance: some are protesting a particular war; some find it against their religious convictions to knowingly support war; some are horrified by massive U.S. military spending while human needs go unmet; some are or would be conscientious objectors if called to military service and, therefore, feel they cannot in good conscience pay for something they would refuse to do themselves. Most war tax resisters are motivated by a combination of reasons such as these and actively work for peace in many other ways too.

War tax resistance is an act of civil disobedience with a long history in the U.S. The most well-known war tax resister was Henry David Thoreau. While those of us who refuse to pay war taxes believe — and some cite in international law — this refusal is just and imperative, the federal government, through the Internal Revenue Service, considers refusal to pay these taxes illegal, and there are potential consequences through the IRS collection system. For most of us who resist, the dire consequences of voluntarily paying for war are far worse that what the IRS and government can do to us individually.

“If a thousand [people] were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them and enable the state to commit violence and shed innocent blood.”

Henry David Thoreau,
during the Mexican-American War of 1846-48

War tax resisters are not out to enrich their own pockets. Some live below the taxable income to avoid as fully as possible participating in war-making. Others who refuse to pay taxes to the federal government give that money to groups that use it for human needs here in the U.S., aid and relief work in war-torn regions, peacemaking, or international cooperation.

There are many ways to resist war taxes, and many resources are available.

Please look through this website, follow the links below for more details, and contact a counselor or group near you.

What is War Tax Resistance: www.warresisters.org/node/321; seanacc.org/wtr-fly.htm
Federal Budget and Military Spending: www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm
How to Resist: www.warresisters.org/node/324; seanacc.org/wtr-fly.htm
Redirecting Tax Dollars: seanacc.org/wtr-fly.htm
Telephone Tax Resistance: www.hanguponwar.org; www.nwtrcc.org/phonetax.htm
History of War Tax Resistance: www.warresisters.org/node/328
Consequences of War Tax Resistance: www.warresisters.org/node/325; seanacc.org/wtr-fly.htm
Resources: www.nwtrcc.org/publications.htm
Counselors and Groups: www.nwtrcc.org/contactN2.htm
Legislative Efforts: www.peacetaxfund.org

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