Journeys Begin with the First Step
by DeCourcy Squire It is late winter in the 1950s. My father is closeted with lots of receipts, trying to figure out the taxes. Although he is a brilliant mathematician, he finds arithmetic, especially in these pre-calculator days, tedious and it makes him cross. My brother and I tiptoe around, careful not to disturb him…. Continue reading
Live and Love
by Mimi Copp Jesus says to love your enemies and your neighbors. In some ways, that is all that needs to be said as to why I have decided to redirect my federal tax dollars away from war-making and towards life giving initiatives. I can’t figure out how to justify the killing of those who… Continue reading
Wiser and More Determined
by Becky Pierce I have been a war tax resister for the past 43 years, all of my adult working life. Since 1989, when I stopped filing tax returns, I’ve gotten very little attention from the IRS. Because I am self-employed, my income is not normally reported to the IRS. But a little over a year ago… Continue reading
Dental Office Forced to Close
by Tom Wilson “I am sorry to announce that The Commonwealth has taken action that forces me to close my dental office for non-compliance with licensure and newer infection control protocols. I am deeply saddened that I must abandon patients or face arrest. Your records and x-rays may be picked up at the office.” Thomas… Continue reading
Heaven and Earth
by A. Jesse Jiryu Davis In the summer of 2006, I officially became a Zen Buddhist and promised to uphold the Buddhist precepts. It seemed to me that the gravest of them was Non-Killing, and that the most violent thing I did was to pay my federal income tax. That summer Israel was dropping American-made… Continue reading
Miriam Copp
Miriam Copp 6117 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19114 April 15, 2008 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 37008 Hartford, CT 06176 To the Internal Revenue Service As a conscientious objector to war, I will not pay my 2007 income taxes. I believe war is wrong and therefore I cannot pay for it. There are other ways… Continue reading
Steev Hise
April 14, 2008 Internal Revenue Service cc: Congressman Raul Grijalva; Senator John McCain; Senator Jon Kyl; Senator Barrack Obama; Senator Hillary Clinton; (P)resident George W. Bush; Alan Gamble, Executive Director, Peace Tax Foundation Dear Sir or Madam, As calculated on the enclosed 1040 form, I am liable from tax year 2007 for 1,923 dollars in… Continue reading
Brian Baughan
April 14, 2008 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 37008 Hartford, CT 06176 To the Internal Revenue Service: In the attached 1040, you will notice that the amount indicated on line 75 is less than the total required by the federal government. This discrepancy is intentional, as my conscience and religious faith have spurred me to… Continue reading
Rick Gottesman
April 13, 2008 Internal Revenue Service Center PO Box 37002 Hartford, CT 06176-0002 To Whom It May Concern: Enclosed is a payment voucher for the amount of federal income taxes I owe for 2007. My tax return (Form 1040) was prepared and filed electronically on April 2, 2008. You will notice that I have not… Continue reading
Mary Ann C. Holtz
March 19, 2008 To the people working in the IRS, to President Bush, to Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, and to Congressman C.W. Bill Young: This is my annual letter of conscience and plea to my government to begin to respect the consciences and religious freedom of those of us who are opposed to… Continue reading
Joan Anderson (2007)
Easter Season 2007 TO WHOM IT SHOULD CONCERN: Once again I am paying my Federal Income Tax under protest, grieving that the major portion pays for war and military endeavors. I contend that supporting violent solutions to world problems does not lead to peace and is contrary to my understanding of God’s will for our… Continue reading
J. Tony Serra, the War Tax Resisting Attorney
By Ed Hedemann He’s been called one of the greatest criminal defense lawyers of the 20th century. He’s also only one of two war tax resisters since World War II to have been jailed for “willful failure to pay” federal income taxes. Last March, Tony Serra was released after spending nine months in Lompoc Federal Penitentiary in… Continue reading
