Tax resistance is the practice of refusing to pay all or some taxes because of some objection to the institution collecting the taxes or its policies. Unlike tax protesting, tax resistance does not generally question the legality of taxation itself.

Personal Statement

I believe that the government has the right to collect taxes, and I believe that citizens have an obligation to pay them. However, I have found myself increasingly depressed by the growing awareness that my taxes are being used to support policies, such as the war in Iraq, that I strongly disagree with, as well as policies that I believe are actively harmful to myself and other law-abiding citizens of the United States, such as the proposed (as of this writing) $700 billion dollar bail-out, with no accountability, of banks that practiced irresponsible and predatory lending practices.

Personally, I will not withhold money from the government. I am uncomfortable with law breaking, even for reasons of conscience, if I do not believe the law itself to be inherently unjust. Tax laws are not, in my opinion, even though their implementation frequently is. Additionally, I have a young child and other responsibilities and the prospect of imprisonment, no matter how remote, is not one I can afford.

However, I am spending increasing amounts of time thinking about and researching how I can legally reduce the amount of money I pay to the government, while promoting peace, social justice, environmental conservation, and other causes I support wholeheartedly.

An Important Disclaimer

I am NOT an accountant, tax collector, or anything more than an interested layperson. This article is simply the result of research I have done on the subject of tax resistance and should NOT be substituted for the advice of a certified accountant or similar professional.

One of the most obvious options is philanthropy. Not only are donations to (most) charities tax-deductible, they also allow you to directly support causes important to you. Some employers even allow you to deduct charitable donations directly from your paycheck, just like taxes.

Be sure to do a little research on your charity of choice before donating to make sure that your donation will be tax-deductible, and that it genuinely works for a cause you support. A good starting point is Charity Navigator.

"Simplify, simplify," said Thoreau, himself a famous tax resister. By reducing your income and expenditure, you can pay fewer taxes. Some tax resisters even intentionally earn less than the taxable income in order to avoid paying taxes altogether, although this can require significant sacrifice.

Many people who adopt income reduction tactics join the Voluntary Simplicity or Freegan movements and/or become homesteaders.

In between the triple threats of global financial meltdown, peak oil, and climate change, I am increasingly convinced that the greatest assets of the next 100 years are not going to be money or gold or stocks, but land. Land and the skills to make something of it.

The National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund seeks to extend the status of designated "conscientious objectors" on the grounds that just as they have the right, on religious or ethical grounds, to refuse to perform military service, they should also have the right to refuse to pay taxes that support military ends. The taxes would instead be paid into a non-military trust fund.

Similar organizations around the world include the Peace Tax Seven (UK) and Conscience and Peace Tax International.

As I stated above, this article is the result of my own research into the art of legally resisting taxes for moral and ethical reasons, and should not be substituted for the advice of a good accountant.

I expect to update it as I continue to learn more about the subject, and welcome the suggestions of more experienced vistors