Until about 20-25 years ago the instruction booklet on the 1040 form said taxes were voluntary. In the 80s some people said if you never fill out the form you never have to, but the first time you fill it out obligates you contraxtually to continue paying.
Problem is you have to go through court to be able to stop and a lot of people dont have the knowledge or wearwithall to do it.
In the 80s some people said if you never fill out the form you never have to, but the first time you fill it out obligates you contraxtually to continue paying.
Yes, lots of crazy things have been said. In reality, self-filing is indeed voluntary, while those who do not file but who have been reported to have income can be investigated and, after proper regulation, can see the agency file on their behalf. So if you are reported to have income, learn the law about reporting income correctly and/or correcting false reports.
Signing a form is not a contractual obligation to the future; as it says, it's an attestation under penalties of perjury of your knowledge of income you earned and assessments you made. You are free to attest, or not to attest, any year, but it is more problematic to have someone else attest on your behalf who is not interested in the truth but only in an assessment that collects the maximum that can be schemed away from you.
You don't need a court, you just need to read the law and the forms and follow it all scrupulously. If you earned income, pay the tax; if not, demonstrate that truth by proper attestation. I answer questions on behalf of anyone who believes the IRS has inaccurate information about how much income they have earned to assist in fixing the problem.
Until about 20-25 years ago the instruction booklet on the 1040 form said taxes were voluntary. In the 80s some people said if you never fill out the form you never have to, but the first time you fill it out obligates you contraxtually to continue paying.
Problem is you have to go through court to be able to stop and a lot of people dont have the knowledge or wearwithall to do it.
Yes, lots of crazy things have been said. In reality, self-filing is indeed voluntary, while those who do not file but who have been reported to have income can be investigated and, after proper regulation, can see the agency file on their behalf. So if you are reported to have income, learn the law about reporting income correctly and/or correcting false reports.
Signing a form is not a contractual obligation to the future; as it says, it's an attestation under penalties of perjury of your knowledge of income you earned and assessments you made. You are free to attest, or not to attest, any year, but it is more problematic to have someone else attest on your behalf who is not interested in the truth but only in an assessment that collects the maximum that can be schemed away from you.
You don't need a court, you just need to read the law and the forms and follow it all scrupulously. If you earned income, pay the tax; if not, demonstrate that truth by proper attestation. I answer questions on behalf of anyone who believes the IRS has inaccurate information about how much income they have earned to assist in fixing the problem.