I worked long and hard for reform of the IRS in the 90s.
I stopped filing because of the abuse by IRS that I suffered (U.S.News & World Report used some of my experience in a piece that they ran:
http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com/BoundLetters/Messy.html
Now, I just learned that anyone who wants to file bankruptcy MUST have tax returns, by the new bankruptcy laws.
How can the media so badly have failed to inform the people of the United States of what was developing, before it was voted into law?
I have been told there's no way around the requirement.
Wow, Karen! You mean you trust the MAINSTREAM MEDIA and expect the MEDIA to keep you informed??? Oh, dear. You really do have a serious problem, but you've come to the right place for help. I'd recommend that you start by reading Mr. Skousen's "How to Analyze the News" here at JoelSkousen.com. Then check out World Affairs Brief and read other alternative news on the Net. I promise you after you compare mainstream vs. alternative news, you'll never trust the mainstream media again! Not ever.
As for the IRS, while some of us may share your feelings that the IRS is unfair, even abusive at times, anyone I ever talked with at these forums--both here at this web site as well as privately--said they ALWAYS files IRS returns (as do I) to obey the law. Laws aren't about how we "feel" or whether we feel we are abused. Laws are exactly that--rules that, whether we despise those rules or not, we must follow our country's laws or, for those who don't, face consequences.
If I were you, Karen, I'd find myself a good tax lawyer immediately (one that specializes in tax issues) and tell him the entire truth so he can help you get back on solid footing again. Good luck.
Ah, well, I see you haven't suffered abuse by the IRS.
I paid my taxes and they still took all my money out of the bank, and left me penniless. They threatened me day after day and I just could not sleep. Three hours a day... for over a year. That's sleep deprivation. And the result is extreme pain in the bones.
So, I'm a bit horrified that my government did that, that they made a mistake and refused to correct it.
I probably should not have posted here. Sorry.
No need to apologize, Karen. As long as you follow, as we all must, Mr. Skousen's general posting guidelines, everyone is welcome and free to speak their minds here--even the phony government plants. Every so often a plant or two passes through here, as they sooner or later visit all forums on the Net. Their presence at forums like this one is quite amusing usually, since almost all of us World Affairs Brief readers have been trained to spot the plants instantly, so their masks fall off easily and quickly here. But that's my point in my first post above. The plants--or "wolves"--are out there everywhere, just waiting for good people to err. That's why it's of utmost importance that good people don't get lazy or sloppy, that we all know the laws and exercise above average mental discipline to follow those laws so the plants and those who'd love to get something on us can't find it because it isn't there if we're "clean."
I never said I disagreed with you, Karen. I hate to pay my taxes, too, yet I always do simply because it's one of those drudgery-filled, unfair things in life I'm stuck having to do because it's the law. I'd rather get ripped off paying taxes than to fall into the government trap of thinking I can get away with not paying taxes and ending up in jail.
I admire the people who have realized how wrong, unfair, and immoral the income tax is and the IRS has become. Yet I would encourage everyone to pay their taxes.
There are not yet enough people to elect Congressmen who will relieve us of this burden. It amounts to being in bondage.
If we fail to file, etc., we just give the enemy a stick to beat us with. Better to stay out of jail and continue the fight in what freedom we have remaining. Informing our family, friends, and neighbors is the only thing that we can do at present.
Cyrus35
Karen, don't feel discouraged. Lots of folks have been where you are. Including me. I don't mean in trying to build good government in the same way that you do, but in not understanding the scope of what we are up against and even trying to make changes with ineffective methods.
The tax situation is only the tip of the iceberg. It is one RESULT of serious abuses that most Americans have not a clue about. Lots of folks on this forum are well informed, but they are the exception.
I reiterate what another writer on this forum suggested. On Joel's web site, print and study his article on how to analyze the news. Take his newsletter also for at least a year and watch how he analyzes what we all read or see on TV. Once you "get it," you'll see how logical it is, how much of it is obvious if we just know what to look for. Joel has been in government, in DC, and he knows from experience. I did all of this myself and I can almost tell what is ahead just from how it is presented--and how often it is presented--on TV. However, I look elsewhere for my news these days.
Start reading books. In books, knowledgeable writers have the opportunity to go into depth and explain things better than any of us in a few posts on this forum can do. If you ask, I am sure lots of folks here would be glad to give you recommendations.
And take heart! You are seeing that something is terribly wrong. That's a good start. Arial