QandO

March 25, 2004

Irwin Schiff
Posted by Jon Henke

I recall listening to this crank on the radio many years ago - a fellow named Irwin Schiff - preaching that there's no legal basis for the income tax, and bragging that he must be right, because he's never been convicted. In fact, on his website, he writes....

I have reported on my radio show for years that I don’t pay income taxes, and report “zero” income on the returns I file. Has the government charged me with tax evasion? No. Suppose I openly advertised and sold untaxed whiskey? How long do you think the government would let me get away with it? But I openly say I file tax returns each year, report “zero” income, and pay no income tax and the government does nothing about it! Why? Because my claim is legally correct.

A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted anti-tax author Irwin Schiff and two of his associates, charging them with conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Schiff, along with Cynthia Neun and Lawrence Cohen, have also been charged with aiding in the preparation and filing of fraudulent tax returns. Schiff and Cohen also face additional tax evasion charges, while Neun faces charges of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns, social security disability fraud and theft of government property.
....
Schiff, the author of "The Federal Mafia: How It Illegally Imposes and Unlawfully Collects Income Taxes," believes there is no requirement in the law that income taxes must be paid.

UPDATE: I should add this: I'm sympathetic to the concept of fighting the government on the subject of taxation. I just dislike this particular fraud.

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