The Central and Western New York Peace Tax Escrow Account
Does Paying for War Violate Your Conscience?
Q&A
What is an escrow account? An escrow account holds funds pending the outcome of a negotiation. In this case, tax payers may pay taxes into this account to make it clear they wish to pay their taxes. The funds are held for the US government until means are made available to pay taxes while upholding our religious conviction against paying for war.
Who administers the account? The account is in the name and care of Farmington Scipio Regional Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), a regional body of Friends in central and western New York State.
How is interest used? A depositor may designate that interest earned on their deposit be reserved to their use for penalties or interest accrued if or when taxes are collected. Undesignated interest earned or gifts to the account will be used by FSRM for life-affirming activities that work to remove the occasion for war.
Who are the depositors to the Peace Tax Escrow Account? Any US taxpayer who conscientiously objects to participating in war may use this account. The portion of taxes a depositor withholds for conscience’s sake may be paid into this account in lieu of paying them to the US government, demonstrating payment of taxes on time and in good faith.
How can I deposit funds? We advise depositors to seek spiritual and legal counsel before depositing to the account. Depositors may request a contract from our contact person. Depositors send a signed contract with a check made out to FSRM Escrow Account for taxes to be held for the IRS pending the US accommodation of our right to conscience and religious freedom to not pay war taxes.
Can I withdraw funds at any time? Depositors may withdraw funds to pay the IRS for outstanding taxes, penalties, or interest. Depositors may not withdraw monies for any other purpose, regardless of financial need.
How do I withdraw funds? A depositor notifies the Account contact person when the IRS seizes money or assets or the depositor decides to pay the withheld taxes. The FSRM Treasurer sends the depositor a check for the collected taxes up to the amount deposited plus interest on that amount if requested.
Will the IRS charge penalties? The US government does not recognize the payment of taxes to an escrow account and thus considers the taxes unpaid. Recently, very few withheld war taxes have been collected by the IRS. The government may threaten seizures or liens on property, or take years to attempt to collect withheld taxes, and therefore penalties and interest will accrue.
“That as monies had of late years been raised by a tax to carry on the wars, [a Friend] had a scruple in his mind in regard to paying it and chose to suffer distraint of goods than to pay it…whereupon I told him…that I had for some time been under a like scruple.”
~ The Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman, Phillips P. Moulton, ed. p. 71
What happens if the US government enacts the U.S. Peace Tax Fund Bill or provides other means to uphold one’s right of conscience regarding paying for war? If the US government enacts the Peace Tax Fund Bill or other accommodation, FSRM will contact depositors. Funds may be paid to the Peace Tax Fund or equivalent entity to the extent permitted by law and conscience.
Other Options…What are my options as a C.O. to war?
● Live below taxable income.
● Refuse to pay a token amount of your income taxes as an act of protest.
● Refuse to pay the estimated military portion of your income taxes.
● Refuse to pay all income taxes, since a portion of any amount will go to war.
● Choose to be self-employed to have control over your income tax dollars.
● Lobby for the Peace Tax Fund or other accommodation (peacetaxfund.org).
● Research responsible non-military investment funds, if you are investing.
● Refuse to pay the federal telephone tax assessed on local service only landlines.
Friends (Quaker)
Corporate Witness
The Living Spirit works in the world to give life, joy, peace and prosperity through love, integrity and compassionate justice among people. We are united in this Power. We acknowledge that paying for war violates our religious conviction. We will seek ways to witness to this religious conviction in each of our communities.
— Minuted by New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, April, 2006
Additional information, counseling, and support are available
The details, pitfalls, and challenges of engaging in war tax resistance and ways to control how much the IRS withholds from your paycheck can be explored with our military tax witness counselors.
For more information, please contact:
FSRM Conscience and War Committee
Lyle Jenks, 1828 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14609 585-629-6102 • meetinglyle@gmail.com
