April 15, 2017
To the Internal Revenue Service:
We support our country in all its peaceful endeavors, but for reasons of conscience and religious faith we do not support our country in its preparation for war and in war making. We are deeply troubled by the fact that about half of the federal income tax that we owe the government is budgeted for military-related expenditures, to buy the tools and manpower to kill our fellow men and women.
As Quakers and pacifists and parents, we have considered our personal responsibility to God and country and world family and conclude that we must redirect a portion of our federal tax bill to peaceful purposes. We have sent $50 to UNICEF for the support of needy children around the world and $50 to Disabled American Veterans for the support of those disabled as a result of American wars, for a total of $100 that would otherwise accompany our tax return. TurboTax calculated our amount owing (line 78 of our Form 1040) as
$xxxx, and we are enclosing our check for $zzzz.
We sincerely hope that Congress will this year pass the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund bill (H.R. 1947, 115th Congress) that would enable us to, in good conscience, direct all of our tax payments to the federal government in the service of peace.
Paul and Fran Sheldon
