Loading ...Frugal Living as a Form of Tax Resistance
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The following is a guest post: David Gross is the creator of “We Won’t Pay: A Tax Resistance Reader”and “The Price of Freedom: Political philosophy from Thoreau’s journals”. He writes about tax resistance and related issues at his blog, The Picket Line
Since I adopted a frugal lifestyle five years ago, of all the dumb, harmful, and worthless things I don’t miss wasting my money on, I don’t miss the war in Iraq the most.
When the invasion of Iraq started, I quit my job and deliberately reduced my income to the point where I no longer owe federal income tax. I transformed my life, concentrating on what really matters, so that I can live within my means without paying this tax — honestly, peacefully, and legally.
American households have, on average, spent more than $4,500 apiece on the Iraq war so far — that doesn’t count the expenses we’ll continue to be racking up for veterans’ care and the cost of the ongoing occupation. And that’s just the extra costs of that war above and beyond what we spend to keep the world’s most gargantuan military going year after year (another $6,800 per year per household).
By and large, these households spend this money whether they want to or not because they don’t think we have a choice. At most, they grumble about “death and taxes” and wish the politicians were nobler and wiser while they watch their paychecks get whittled down by the I.R.S.
The times call for more than complaining and wishful thinking. We have to put as much of our effort as we can on the side of our values, instead of allowing so much of our effort to be stolen by the tax collector and used to promote the values of politicians and the military/industrial complex.
As it says in /Your Money Or Your Life/, “when we go to our jobs we are trading our life energy for money.” When we pay taxes, the government takes our life energy from us. If you live frugally on a low income, the I.R.S. takes less from you — so you can dedicate more to your own priorities.
About two-in-five American households already live “under the tax line” and pay no federal income tax at all. Opponents of the Iraq war, and other people who know they can spend their money more wisely and justly than the government does, would be wise to ask if they should endeavor to become part of this two-in-five.
There’s a long history of frugality being used by groups opposed to government policy — including the American “Founding Fathers”. During the first Continental Congress in 1774, John Adams wrote home to his wife, “Frugality, my Dear, Frugality, Œconomy, Parsimony must be our Refuge. I hope the Ladies are every day diminishing their ornaments, and the Gentlemen too. Let us Eat Potatoes and drink Water. Let us wear Canvass, and undressed Sheepskins, rather than submit to the unrighteous, and ignominious Domination that is prepared for Us.”
Even if it’s not time for another American Revolution just yet, it’s certainly time for more Americans to put their money, and their life energy, where their hearts are.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Well, courtesy of the soldiers, you have a right to protest as you see fit, but to purposefully limit your career or earning potential to avoid taxes is about as inane a protest as I’ve heard.
Just for that, I’m going to have to spend more, as well as get another promotion..
May 14th, 2008 at 9:20 amFascinating. I’ve known people who reduced their taxes by the percentage that goes to the military and sent along a note to the IRS explaining why they didn’t pay the rest. I’ve known other people who wanted to, but were too worried about what might happen (these ones had kids) if they did.
But reducing your income is a new idea. And awesome.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:37 amGuess what, some of us *gasp* don’t have the option of giving up income. Going under the poverty line isn’t going to pay my rent, nor will it pay the medical costs for my disabled child, nor will it allow my wife to stay home with my child.
But on behalf of all of us who have to pay more for everything so you can get enjoy the services and protection of government for free, thanks. Your moral superiority comforts us all.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:16 amWow, this post boggles my mind. To live freely in the US and not feel even the slightest bit obligated to pay for any of the services enjoyed is incomprehensible.
The Law of Attraction says that what we put out comes back to us. This parsimonious behavior with tax dollars reflects in the author’s poverty-level existence.
For me, I’d prefer to live more comfortably AND pay my own way.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:17 pmQuite a few members of my husbands family are tax protestors, and also who refuse to have drivers’ licenses or auto insurance. I have come to see that although they do not contribute to the process they sure seem to enjoy living in a country that gives them the rewards the rest of us who DO pay taxes provide. They enjoy the protection of the police and fire departments, they are protected by the military, they drive on roads, they take their homeschooled kids to the library, etc. To me, it is the ultimate in selfishness and hypocrisy.
May 15th, 2008 at 5:51 amThey want to enjoy all the freedoms without any of the RESPONSIBILITY.
I first heard of this at a peace festival about 10 or 15 years ago. The people who spoke of it were pacifists and did not want to support war or the use of violent force. Some of them deliberately reduced their income as in this post; others decided to withhold just the part of their tax that would be spent on the military. In many cases the portion that they withheld was deposited in some sort of trust and being held until such time as the government would agree to use it for purely non-violent purposes. This was called a Peace Tax Fund. Many of the people involved were coming at this from a Christian point of view, specifically Mennonite. Here is a resolution passed by the Mennonite Church: http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/R4865.html
I am not sure why the posters above are so against the idea of people following their conscience.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:05 amI should also have mentioned Quakers as they are also pacifists and conscientious objectors.
The organization in Canada that helps conscientious objectors to military taxation is called Conscience Canada. They administer the Peace Tax Trust Fund.
Individuals who are conscientious objectors are allowed to perform alternative service (forestry, hospitals, etc.) when conscripted. Also, in World War I and II when people were urged to buy war bonds, in response to requests from Mennonites and others, the government created bonds which would only be used for non-war purposes such as for relief work. Being able to prevent one’s taxes from being used for military purposes is the next logical step.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:31 amI haven’t the slightest issue with conscientious objectors — if somebody wants to argue the merits of particular government spending, and withhold some tax and keep in it reserve until the government get its act together, that’s excellent. The government might come after them, but they will get no flak from me.
What ticks me off is that somebody who is basically “dropping out”, in the hippie sense of the word, is trying to use the war as justification and claim moral superiority over people who do not drop out like him. And make no mistake, that is what he claims:
“…households spend this money whether they want to or not because they don’t think we have a choice. At most, they grumble about “death and taxes” and wish the politicians were nobler and wiser…
Opponents of the Iraq war, and other people who know they can spend their money more wisely and justly than the government does, would be wise to ask if they should endeavor to become part of this two-in-five.”
So we’ve gone from “I’ve made a personal decision to drop out and stop supporting the war” to “households that pay taxes are collaborators”.
Thanks, but the rest of us can make our own decisions without help.
RR
May 15th, 2008 at 8:51 amshame on you!!! i suppose you are not environmentally friendly either as that takes an effort and can be more taxing as well. when you hit that pot hole in the road, or lose a loved one in the war, or have to stand in a soup line, or any other thing that costs tax dollars remember the day you put your foot in your mouth…someone oughta kick you in the pants all the way to the employment office.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:45 pmHere’s another angle - I used to pay taxes and obey the law, until I experienced the LACK of protections and freedoms that all Gay Americans face each day. Now I live on Welfare, and I will n-e-v-e-r pay taxes.
If a government treats part of its country’s citizens as “less than human”, don’t expect any of them to pay a dime.
May 18th, 2008 at 9:11 amIf you are against the war in Iraq, then why is there a John McCain for President ad on your blog? As I understand, he supported invading Iraq in the first place and if elected president, he intends to continue there for as long as it takes to “win”. Just curious.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:40 pm@mel
Are you referring to this site or his? If it is this site, the ads that come up are autogenerated, I don’t have control over that…. however, they will be going away within the next couple of weeks.
~Dawn
May 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pmWhen people drive fuel efficient cars, cease driving and take mass transit or ride bicycles, the politicians will complain that they are not collecting enough gasoline taxes and they will raise the gasoline tax.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:39 am