# Federal Income Tax: Voluntary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279 "2005-11-29T22:14:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279/21 "2005-11-30T22:56:41Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The answer is- your friend is heading for a HUGE tax bill, if not jail. Not if he points out the tax court has a flag with fringe on it… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279/22 "2005-12-01T15:46:26Z")
An old friend of mine fell in with a group of damnfool tax rebels, and he declared himself exempt. When the feds caught up with him, he just happened to be in the middle of a divorce. The court said the divorce could not go through until his tax obligations were paid. So, for many months, every paycheck was bitten for not only a fat back tax payment, but also a hefty support check. He was left with barely enough to buy gasoline. If his girlfriend hadn’t taken him in, he’d have been sleeping in his car. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279/23 "2005-12-01T21:26:05Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Not if he points out the tax court has a flag with fringe on it… Please, please tell me that was a whoosh! Surely one of the lamest tax-protestor arguments ever… :rolleyes: And yes, since you asked, I’ll stop calling you “Shirley.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279/24 "2005-12-01T22:28:52Z")
> [@William V.](#): > > Please, please tell me that was a whoosh! That would take all the fun out of it now, wouldn’t it? 😃 ---
**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 1, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279/25 "2005-12-01T23:13:49Z")
Report him. The IRS gives big rewards for reporting these feebs. We all need a little extra. I’d report him. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279/26 "2005-12-01T23:21:47Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Report him. > > The IRS gives big rewards for reporting these feebs. > > We all need a little extra. > > I’d report him. And the IRS gives you several methods for [doing so.](http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/article/0,,id=106778,00.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-tax-voluntary/333279.md?page=1)