More than a paycheck NEWS FROM THE WAR TAX RESISTANCE MOVEMENT April/May 2 01 2 Stop the Money Who says this must be so? California Who cares that this is so? Oakland — Northern California War Tax I shudder that the raids and bombs Resistance joins with CodePINK, Occupy have made us less than human. Oakland, and others in GDAMS demonstra - tion, April 17, 12-4 pm, Oakland Federal I wish to go to our deserted schools Building, 1301 Clay St. Press conference, to understand why we are like this. speakers, music, and visuals on the histori - I used to dream of space, cal extent of U.S. military interventions and costs. March to nearby state building to join blue skies and gentler people. protest against cuts to education funding. I heard mother through her burqa Info: (510) 842-6124 or nowartax.org . pleading “Please stop! Petaluma — War tax resisters participate Stop the money. Stop the killing. in The Really Really Free Market Occupy Petaluma Public Event, April 14, 1-5 pm. Stop.” Music, workshops, clothes, art, kid’s activi - Another local explosion, ties, plants, seeds, community! One person can make a big statement. Rosalie more international lies. facebook.com/events/409991702351215 . Riegle, Tax Day 2 011, Evanston, IL. Photo courtesy Our global problem is that continued on page 4 of Neighbors for Peace. guns impose greater force than common sense or vision, which tells me that my mother’s world is crashing. What Does Conscience Require? By Berry Friesen athy Kelly quoted these lines from Hakim of the Afghan Youth Peace aying taxes that are used for war has annual federal tax return to witness for peace K long been a vexing problem for those and against the wars that have become a per - Volunteers in the December 2 011 P whose conscience forbids direct partici - manent feature of U.S. foreign policy? Catholic Worker . Could we express any pation in war. If it would be wrong to take up For Shane Claiborne, the activist who co- stronger argument to protest war taxes by arms and kill, then isn’t it equally wrong to founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia, resisting and/or getting out on tax day? provide the means for another to commit the commitment to Jesus the Nazarene has This year Tuesday, April 17, is Tax Day, the same act? The conventional escape from this prompted him to adopt a posture of “revolu - final day to file IRS returns. It happens that dilemma is found in the legal obligation to tionary subordination” vis-à-vis the federal April 17 is also the Global Day of Action pay taxes. Payment is compelled, not volun - government. “I respect the law and those on Military Spending (GDAMS), which tary, and thus one’s conscience remains clear. who administer it but I also have been called NWTRCC has endorsed. Our action list is “Conscience and Taxes in a Culture of War,” to be prophetic, to expose injustice.” Thus, still growing at nwtrcc.org/taxday2012.php , a March 11 forum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when he filed his federal tax return for and we link to the GDAMS website. Call or sponsored by 1040 for Peace and Every 20 10, he paid only 70% of what was due. In email the office with your events right up to Church A Peace Church , asked a different a letter sent along with his return, Claiborne April 17. After that send in your photos and question about the upcoming April 17 tax described his reasons for not paying the report for the next newsletter! deadline: how can we use the filing of our other 30%. continued on page 7 National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee • P.O. Box 150553, Brooklyn, NY 1121 5 • ( 71 8) 768-3420 • (800)269- 7464 COUNSELING NOTES of non-income-tax-paying households has topped Law School Clinic 40%. The “Other Taxes” page on our website A resister dealing with a frivolous penalty had includes information about other taxes to resist if contacted the Tax Advocate’s office for some help you don’t owe income taxes. Find the link at the with her situation. In the course of the conversa - end of the text on our home page. tion the Advocate suggested the resister try to get help from the law school clinic at a local uni - Ghost Returns versity. After a meeting with the clinic, the resister If you are a nonfiler with reported income received a letter saying they would take the case. (1099s, W-2s, etc.) the IRS computers are pretty The school’s clinic has a low income requirement, More than a good, eventually it seems, at matching that infor - which the resister had met. While much of what mation with the lack of a return for that per - paycheck we do in war tax resistance does not require a son/social security number. We’ve heard from lawyer or legal help, contacting such a clinic in Editor some longtime nonfilers who have had the IRS go Ruth Benn your area could be an option in some of these after them for as far back as 9 or 10 years, but usu - sticky situations. Production ally that’s related to some special, large amount of Rick Bickhart income reported for that year. If the IRS gets after Printing and Mailing Revenue Crunch you for, say, 2009, they won’t necessarily demand Lakeside Printing Richard Cebula and Edgar L. Feige (of Jackson- that you file for years previous to that (as far as Cooperative, Madison, WI ville U. and the U. of Wisconsin, Madison) have we’ve heard). If you do not respond to their col - Printed on Recycled Paper attempted to estimate the size of the underground lection letters, they will file for you, and we’ve economy in the U.S. They estimate that 18 -1 9% of seen that called a “ghost return.” The IRS only More Than a Paycheck is a legally reportable income stays under-the-table, bimonthly publication of the calculates the tax due based on the reported which translates to about half a trillion dollars in income and a single standard deduction, so col - National War Tax Resistance taxes each year that the IRS fails to collect. The IRS Coordinating Committee, a lection efforts are usually based on a principal itself hasn’t attempted to measure this underground clearinghouse and resource higher than you really owed. You always have the economy since 1988, but they have worked hard in center for the conscientious option to file yourself, but of course that can mean recent years to find nonfilers. In particular the IRS war tax resistance getting into dealing with the agency you chose to movement in the United takes a dim view of independent contractors and avoid in the first place. If you are not very States. NWTRCC is a makes it a priority to shift people to salaries when collectible (no salary, regular clients, or large coalition of local, regional possible. They’d love to institute withholding for bank accounts) or don’t worry about potential and national affiliate groups everyone who receives pay-for-work, but so far the collection, this may not be of concern. We recom - working on war tax opposition is too strong. mend nonfilers with reported income fill out the related issues. Adding to the federal revenue crunch, more than forms each year in case their circumstances 40% of American households that filed tax returns change after some years, or they need to argue NWTRCC sees poverty, racism, last year did not pay or owe any federal income tax. numbers with the IRS. sexism, homophobia, economic This is the second year in a row that the percentage continued on next page exploitation, environmental destruction and militarization of law enforcement as integrally linked with the militarism which we abhor. Through the redirection of our tax dollars, Many Thanks Network Updates NWTRCC members contribute directly to the struggle for peace and justice for all. All of us in the NWTRCC network are grateful to NWTRCC’s Network List of Affiliates, Area Contacts, Craigslist Charitable Fund for the unexpected grant of Counselors, and Alternative Funds appear on the Subscriptions to More Than a Paycheck $25,000, which we received for educational work early website, or request a list from the NWTRCC office. are $15 per year. this year. Our May meeting in Chicago will include a Please let us know if you are interested in being a discussion on proposals to make the best use of this very NWTRCC contact on our network list: [email protected] or special grant. Contact the office if you will not be in 1-800-269- 7464. PO Box 150553 Chicago but would like to offer input for the process. Brooklyn, NY 1121 5 Thanks to all of you for your continued support and to (718) 768-3420 these groups for recent dues payments and donations: Advertising rates for this (800) 269- 7464 newsletter can be found at Boulder War Tax Information Project FAX: ( 71 8) 768-4388 nwtrcc.org/ads.php or Maine War Tax Funds for Life email: [email protected] contact the editor at New England War Tax Resistance Web: www.nwtrcc.org 1- 800-269 -7 464 . OR Community for War Tax Resisters PAGE 2 More than a paycheck • April/May 2 01 2 international and Legislative of objection based upon religious and moral about contraception and abortion when no Conscience Canada Update grounds. Please consider teaming up with the one is talking about conscientious objection I am a Canadian war tax resister.