Dear IRS: I Will Not Pay My 2014 Income Tax

Today I sent my first War Tax Resistance letter to the IRS as coordinated by the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.  As explained below, this is neither a money-saving scheme nor a get-out-of-jail-free scheme.

Dear IRS Employee,

As a conscientious objector to war, I will not pay my 2014 income tax. I believe war killing is wrong and therefore I cannot pay for it. There are other ways for nations to resolve their conflicts with one another besides through war killing.

The U.S. government spends nearly half its budget on war & preparations for war. This type of spending does not reflect my humanitarian values and therefore I will not support it.

I am paying my self-employment tax ($7,503; line 57) and health care individual responsibility ($629; line 61), which total $8,132. My 2014 total estimated payments is $7,075 (line 74). I am sending the difference ($8,132 - $7,075 = $1,057) to you. I am sending the full amount of my income tax ($2,964; line 47) and my estimated tax penalty ($21; line 79) to the Peace Tax Escrow Fund of the Purchase Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends to be held until the U.S. Government finds a way to wage non-violent war.

I am not opposed to paying taxes. I want to fulfill my financial responsibilities to the country I live in but I also cannot violate my religious beliefs. The federal government funds essential aspects needed for a healthy country & world, such as education, public transportation, housing, natural disaster relief, health care, job training, humanitarian assistance. But since I know that the majority of my tax dollars will not go towards any of this, I will continue to redirect my tax dollars to the Peace Tax Escrow Fund of the Purchase Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends to be held until the U.S. Government finds a way to wage non-violent war.

Sincerely,

Thomas Gail Haws

cc:

Representative Matt Salmon

Senator Jeff Flake

Senator John McCain

Purchase Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee