Why do people get busted for tax evasion if there is no law that we have to pay income tax?

Question

My understanding is that there is NO law that requires that people pay income tax and yet I hear about people getting popped all the time by the IRS for income tax evasion.

What gives?

Hey "bostonianinmo"

You can suck a big one!

Answer 1

The truth is what you would like it to be. Right! This one never ends. There are people out there who continue to peddle this trash despite decades of a 100% failure rate in civil court. (Some get non guilty verdicts in criminal cases because they are weak, but they all lose in Tax Court.) Actually, the failure rate is worse than 100% because Tax Court can add a $25,000 penalty for coming there with a frivolous case.

Answer 2

What gives is that the people that are telling you that there is no law requiring paying income tax are wrong. That is why people get popped all the time by the IRS for income tax evasion. If you have taxable income, then you have income tax.

Answer 3

You are incorrect. I believe that Congress passed a law and it was upheld by the Supreme Court that the government does in fact have the right to impose an income tax. I believe it was passed when William Taft was president. In addition all the states have the right to impose income tax on all residents as well. There are a number of states without income tax, Texas, Nevada, Florida and Tennessee come to mind but they tend to make it up with higher sales taxes, property taxes or franchise taxes.

Answer 4

Because the law states that you have to file a tax return meaning you must report accurately your earned income for that year. If you misrepresent the amount of income you earn then that is tax evasion.

Answer 5

Uh, possibly your "understanding" is wrong, and there is a law requiring that we pay tax if we have income above the limits to be required to?

Don't believe everything you hear, or read on the Internet.

Answer 6

Your "understanding" is incorrect.

There is a law. Title 26 - Internal Revenue Code (search for it).

Tax Protesters have been making this claim and other ridiculous claims for years and they have a perfect record in court. To use a baseball metaphor, they are batting .000.

File your returns and pay your taxes. You will be much happier in the long run.

Answer 7

Whoever told you that needs to check with the Supreme Court. They have ruled many times that the government can collect taxes and imprison you for evasion. Bottom line is "He has the guns makes the rules". I may not like it but am not foolish enough to try to fight them on my own.

Answer 8

State laws. There's no federal laws. Most states have it on the books that you have to pay federal income tax.