NWTRCC network member David Gross has been working to release the enormous volume, The Book of Ammon, a collection of writings by the Christian anarchist Ammon Hennacy, as a free e-book. This book, currently out of print, is a fascinating look at a man famous for his draft resistance, his war tax resistance, and his… Continue reading
IRS
Reasons to Celebrate
Somehow the IRS is attuned to vacations and holidays. They like to surprise you with their letters, bills and perhaps stronger demands just when you’re in a good mood or feeling relaxed. Like last week: I came back from vacation to a pile of 10 “Amount Due” letters from the IRS (not sure what our… Continue reading
Understanding common IRS collection letters
Most war tax resisters who refuse federal income taxes will eventually (or quickly) get a letter from the IRS. Here I describe some of the most common letters one tax-return-filing resister has gotten over the past few years. Resisters who do not file tax returns may get letters more slowly or not at all, until… Continue reading
Building connections at a San Diego teach-in
by Anne Barron (Introductory editorial note: On February 15, Activist San Diego hosted a teach-in about war tax resistance, organized by Anne Barron, a war tax resistance counselor and NWTRCC network activist. The promotional materials said: “Communities around the world are resisting American militarism. Join us in a discussion of how each one of us… Continue reading
Do war tax resisters end up overpaying when the IRS adds interest and penalties?
A common argument against war tax resistance goes something like this: War tax resistance is counterproductive: The government will add penalties and interest to whatever you refuse to pay, and when they eventually wring the money out of you, in the end you’ll have given even more financial support to the military than you would have… Continue reading
Collection Is Not a Resistance Failure
I was wondering what war tax resisters were thinking about in 1996, which is as far back as our archived newsletter archives go. (Answer: pretty much the same things in different contexts!) I came across a piece on the effectiveness of war tax resistance from Sallie Marx and Robert Hieger of New York City War… Continue reading
New Collection Challenges
For years war tax resisters (or potential resisters) have worried about travel abroad. Will my tax debt show up in a passport check when leaving or returning to the U.S.? Despite reassurances that many of us travel abroad and this has not been an issue, the fear lingered in the minds of many. Unfortunately, on… Continue reading
The Snowden Model and Finding Our Power
I finally watched the film Citizenfour, about the release of the NSA documents by Edward Snowden. The whole film is impressive, but I was struck by this section where journalist Glenn Greenwald is asking Snowden about whether to release his name and ID him as the source of the documents. Greenwald wanted to make sure… Continue reading
Longest Jail Time for a War Tax Resister
People unfamiliar with war tax resistance assume that if you do it, you go straight to jail, or at least wind up there eventually. “Why aren’t you in jail?” Years ago when I was in the ready-room before appearing on a TV interview program, the host asked me “Why aren’t you in jail?” Similarly, a… Continue reading
A Success Story: Combining War Tax Resistance Tactics
I came across this story in the NWTRCC newsletter archives and was reminded of the conversations we had at the May 2015 conference in Milwaukee, where many of Anonymous’ war tax resistance tactics were discussed. I’ve added links to updated NWTRCC resources. -Erica from the February 1998 issue of More Than a Paycheck A Success… Continue reading
Closing the Chapter, But Not the Book
by Elizabeth Boardman Kudos to Quaker attorney Bob Kovsky of San Francisco, who worked for seven years on a legal suit I brought against the IRS claiming that as a Quaker, I was subject to misdirection, threat and harassment by the IRS when I honestly and openly followed the precepts of my Christian church in… Continue reading
Is it ever right to refuse, on principle, to pay taxes?
Mentor, friend, farmer, war tax refuser Juanita Nelson died on March 9, 2015, and the memorial for her was May 30. Below is a sample of Juanita’s thinking from a point/counterpoint op-ed in the Sunday Republican, Springfield, Mass, April 4, 1993. The article turned up in a folder of miscellaneous documents from Pioneer Valley War… Continue reading