# Can I really skip paying income taxes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 18, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598 "2002-12-18T17:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dan\_Tana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Tana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Tana)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/1 "2002-12-18T17:36:03Z")
I heard an ad on the radio the other day claiming that no U.S. law exists that says people MUST pay income tax. This company claims that it is simply a voluntary tax. Of course, for the full scoop, you need only to send in a boat load of $ and they will describe it in full detail in their manual. I’ve heard of these far out tax guys before, but I find it very hard to believe that it is this simple. Is there really a big loop-hole in the US tax code? ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/2 "2002-12-18T17:38:46Z")
No, there is no big loop-hole. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/3 "2002-12-18T17:42:42Z")
No. The I.R.S. _does_ rely on voluntary compliance because they just can’t audit everyone. [Here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_127.html)’s some Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/4 "2002-12-18T17:44:27Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=121312](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=121312) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/5 "2002-12-18T17:49:49Z")
Just a guess- is the guy claiming you don’t have to pay income taxes named Irwin Schiff? If so, RUN! Don’t walk, RUN! I say this because he used to make such proclamations on radio in New York, when I was a kid, and some poor saps believed him. Sciff himself was arrested numerous times, offered his bogus theories as a defense, and lost every time. He’s gone to prison more than once, but every time he gets out, he claims that he beat the rap! If you want to be his cellmate, listen to him. If not, take every legitimate deduction, but pay your dang taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/6 "2002-12-18T17:52:20Z")
**Do not try skipping taxes, unless you like to wear clothes the same color as this post’s lettering!** :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/7 "2002-12-18T18:45:00Z")
Sure, you absolutely don’t have to pay taxes. It is purely voluntary. However, if you choose not to, they will take your money and put you in jail. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/8 "2002-12-18T19:02:59Z")
Cecil on related tax topics: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_127.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_127.html) [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_335a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_335a.html) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/9 "2002-12-18T20:06:06Z")
I actually do own some reference material that I purchased about 7 years ago. It`s cost was around thirty dollars and it came from some Edmund Fitzsimmons guy, probably a fake name.[Here](http://www.taxfreeusa.org/bookone.htm) is his web site. I own both the first and second books. If you would like me to re-read and pull out some of the better points in the books let me know. If there is any interest I will do this otherwise they will stay under the bed scaring away the dust bunnies. Many of the points that K2DAVE and SHOULDBEWORKING talked about in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...threadid=121312) thread are mentioned in the books. I noticed that no-one in the linked thread had such reference materials to use. It might be fun to have all the no-tax or zero-tax debunkers go up against me. I can play the devils advocate since I have the reference materials in my posession. Of course I will paraphrase any information from the books. Any interested parties? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/10 "2002-12-18T20:08:14Z")
I garbbled the link (this) it is the same one that INCONCIEVABLE posted \> [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...threadid=121312](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...threadid=121312) ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/11 "2002-12-18T20:12:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by whuckfistle \* > \*\*It might be fun to have all the no-tax or zero-tax debunkers go up against me. I can play the devils advocate since I have the reference materials in my posession. > > Of course I will paraphrase any information from the books. > Any interested parties? \*\* What in the world would you want to debate that hasn’t already been covered? The books are lying and you do have to pay your taxes. That has already been proven time and time again. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/12 "2002-12-18T20:17:46Z")
The ultimate authority on this topic: [Dan Evans’ Tax Protestor FAQ](http://evans-legal.com/dan/tpfaq.html). It covers just about every conceivable tax protestor argument and then shows exactly why the argument is utter crap. ---
**Author:** ![kiwiboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/35a633/32.png) [@kiwiboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiwiboy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/13 "2002-12-18T20:33:44Z")
There is one sure way to skip income taxes, perfectly legally and still keep a clean conscience. No, it’s not suicide. Simply don’t earn any income. Of course this has many obvious drawbacks which for most people outweigh the incredible savings on your tax bill… ---
**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/14 "2002-12-18T21:32:30Z")
I should only be so lucky as to have to pay more taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/15 "2002-12-18T21:35:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kiwiboy \* > **There is one sure way to skip income taxes…** Two ways, actually. The second? Emigrate! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/16 "2002-12-18T21:38:34Z")
Another good thread on this subject is here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=42859](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=42859) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/17 "2002-12-18T21:40:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by In Conceivable \* > \*\*What in the world would you want to debate that hasn’t already been covered? The books are lying and you do have to pay your taxes. That has already been proven time and time again. \*\* To directly attack the info. in the books as the books presented it was my angle. We had up untill now been disavowing second hand information, information from people who had heard stuff from other people. Though the arguments against, (the information that was presented), would most likely still stand, there were lots of other points in the books as I recall that weren`t debated in the threads. I won`t go into them without some interest expressed here. Let me say I haven`t read the books for a better part of six years. I would shake the dust off them in the interest of Fighting Ignorance. PS. Please don`t yell at me.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/18 "2002-12-18T21:54:29Z")
Check out Craftermans link and scroll down to his E-mail from Mr. Boston to further understand what we are dealing with here. ---
**Author:** ![kingwoody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kingwoody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingwoody)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/19 "2002-12-19T00:09:55Z")
Here’s what I know from personal experience: 1. There are many loopholes and “benefits” in the tax code that are exercised mostly by the extremely wealthy. 2. While some of these loopholes and benefits may change in the future, chances are slim because the people who run our country are using the same methods. When your income gets in the mid 6 figures and low 7 figures per year, as in some people I know, it becomes a necessity to reduce that 6 figure tax burden. Without getting into too much detail, there are a lot of people who pay a lower (effective) tax rate than the middle class while making the big bucks. I’m sure there are some who manage to pay no tax at all. Read the book by Robert Kiyosaki called Rich Dad, Poor Dad [www.richdad.com](http://www.richdad.com) , or some of the other Real Estae Investing educators’ materials. They’ll let you know that only the low and middle class pay taxes. Do you think millionaires pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes per year? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598/20 "2002-12-19T01:30:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Do you think millionaires pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes per year? Well, yes. If you earn a million dollars per year, then you _probably_ pay hundreds of thousands in taxes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-skip-paying-income-taxes/143598.md?page=2)