Current Events > Wonder what would actually happen if we got a mass protest in the form of

(+) Yeah! (+)

people not paying taxes. Never going to happen because they'd obviously go hard after anyone trying to start such a protest, but if it got large enough scale they wouldn't be able to just arrest everyone, and they'd have to concede at least some ground to protesters(as they should given we have good reason for a protest).

I don't mind paying taxes.

Would not be good. Taxes fund local hospitals, schools, police, fire department, etc so a lot of innocent people would be hurt by doing that

Too many people need/want that tax return

There's never going to be anything like that and never anything like a general strike.

If people didn't pay their taxes then the IRS would unleash the government tyranny that our 2nd amendment right is supposed to protect us from.

Just make all the billionaires fund all taxes

Billyionaire posted...

Would not be good. Taxes fund local hospitals, schools, police, fire department, etc so a lot of innocent people would be hurt by doing that

Yah Im trying to wonder what even the point of the topic was

The government takes the money out of your bank account without asking you and issues a warrant for your arrest. Maybe no one will arrest you but so long as the warrant is active you can't do most things in the country like get a credit card, job, or travel.

they would change the way they tax everyone
they're gonna get their money one way or another

Kuuko posted...

I don't mind paying taxes.

I don't mind paying taxes when they're properly being put towards improving the lives of people.

Billyionaire posted...

Would not be good. Taxes fund local hospitals, schools, police, fire department, etc so a lot of innocent people would be hurt by doing that

You mean like how all of those are already being hurt by blatant corruption, with the exception of police who are part of the corruption?

ironman2009 posted...

Too many people need/want that tax return

Those people would have more money by just keeping their taxes

A_Good_Boy posted...

If people didn't pay their taxes then the IRS would unleash the government tyranny that our 2nd amendment right is supposed to protect us from.

I'm not so sure they would if the scale was large enough, they tend to balk at stuff like that when it's a massive group.

Zikten posted...

Just make all the billionaires fund all taxes

This would be one of the goals, or at least have them pay their due. Corporations too.

Tyranthraxus posted...

The government takes the money out of your bank account without asking you and issues a warrant for your arrest. Maybe no one will arrest you but so long as the warrant is active you can't do most things in the country like get a credit card, job, or travel.

They do this on a large enough scale, all that does is lead to even bigger issues.

GuerrillaSoldier posted...

they would change the way they tax everyone
they're gonna get their money one way or another

And we're going to make them do their jobs one way or another.

Here's the thing though, as much as everyone bitches about taxes (and everyone does bitch) we realize that the things they do actually help our lives and make this country overall a better place to live.

Do I like paying taxes? Fuck no. But I I like having cops, fire, roads, libraries, schools, public parks, less expensive food (meat subsides as an example), places to put the worst criminals, health insurance for children and a LOT of other things way more.

I'm not sure how the mechanics of this would even work; most people's taxes are paid by their employer and over 70% of people's tax filings end up as returns from the government.

For two weeks people should just not go to work

would transform mankind

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Here's the thing though, as much as everyone bitches about taxes (and everyone does bitch) we realize that the things they do actually help our lives and make this country overall a better place to live.

Do I like paying taxes? Fuck no. But I I like having cops, fire, roads, libraries, schools, public parks, less expensive food (meat subsides as an example), places to put the worst criminals, health insurance for children and a LOT of other things way more.

To be clear, I'm not against taxes at all. They're part of the social contract. But the government is not holding up their end of the social contract, which is what this about. The end goal is getting them to actually implement systems that take care of their country and citizens and resume paying taxes.

Hospy posted...

I'm not sure how the mechanics of this would even work; most people's taxes are paid by their employer and over 70% of people's tax filings end up as returns from the government.

And people can change how their taxes are paid. Tell their employer to stop paying. It's legal, as these people are intended to figure out the amounts themselves, they'd just skip that step.

VampireCoyote posted...

For two weeks people should just not go to work

would transform mankind

This would be even more demanding of a response, but would be even more impossible to organize.

VampireCoyote posted...

For two weeks people should just not go to work

would transform mankind

A general strike would never happen in America. Logistics aside, more than half of the country would be against it because they would somehow construe it with laziness and communism.

Tyranthraxus posted...

The government takes the money out of your bank account without asking you and issues a warrant for your arrest. Maybe no one will arrest you but so long as the warrant is active you can't do most things in the country like get a credit card, job, or travel.

Would be a different beast if everyone did it, but it's kind of a useless question.

CRON posted...

A general strike would never happen in America. Logistics aside, more than half of the country would be against it because they would somehow construe it with laziness and communism.

I can also imagine them trying to pull the same bullshit they did with the railroads and trying to force people back to work.

Still insist the railworkers should've ignored that illegitimate ruling and done the strike. If Biden wanted to end it he should've forced the companies to cave, just another stain on his record.

RuneterranSnap posted...

To be clear, I'm not against taxes at all. They're part of the social contract. But the government is not holding up their end of the social contract, which is what this about. The end goal is getting them to actually implement systems that take care of their country and citizens and resume paying taxes.

Got ya. I must have misunderstood. I thought you were going the Ron Paul ABOLISH ALL TAXES route.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Got ya. I must have misunderstood. I thought you were going the Ron Paul ABOLISH ALL TAXES route.

All good, no harm done :)

RuneterranSnap posted...

To be clear, I'm not against taxes at all. They're part of the social contract. But the government is not holding up their end of the social contract, which is what this about. The end goal is getting them to actually implement systems that take care of their country and citizens and resume paying taxes.

What are you talking about

The government still provides roads, education, fire depts, SNAP, etc

In no way is the govt "not holding up their end of the social contract"

RuneterranSnap posted...

And people can change how their taxes are paid. Tell their employer to stop paying. It's legal, as these people are intended to figure out the amounts themselves, they'd just skip that step.

That's asking your employer to protest on your behalf, and why would they do that? The penalties for not filing and paying hit the employer not you.

g980 posted...

What are you talking about

The government still provides roads, education, fire depts, SNAP, etc

In no way is the govt "not holding up their end of the social contract"

They failed to provide during Covid. Public assistance is so underfunded it might as well not exist. Police across the country are incredibly corrupt and excessively violent while getting a pass. Hate to the point of genocide is being pushed uncontested in multiple states. Healthcare and college for anyone that isn't rich is just a way to create more cattle for corporations to abuse. Minimum wage is almost $15 below what it needs to be.

They're failing their end without question.

You would see sales tax jump 1000%

Hospy posted...

That's asking your employer to protest on your behalf, and why would they do that? The penalties for not filing and paying hit the employer not you.

No? You aren't asking, and it's well established that you have the right to withold taxes from your regular paycheck and pay it yourself. Your employer isn't even required to pay it for you.

Axiom posted...

You would see sales tax jump 1000%

Well that'd be fine for me here in Oregon :P

RuneterranSnap posted...

No? You aren't asking, and it's well established that you have the right to withold taxes from your regular paycheck and pay it yourself. Your employer isn't even required to pay it for you.

I'd like to see a source on that, because outside of some specific circumstances, my understanding is that social security and medicare are mandatory deductions and the responsibility falls on the employer to do so.

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/understanding-employment-taxes

Hospy posted...

I'd like to see a source on that, because outside of some specific circumstances, my understanding is that social security and medicare are mandatory deductions and the responsibility falls on the employer to do so.

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/understanding-employment-taxes

I could be wrong, or it could be just for my state, but every job I've done I dictated how much was taken out for taxes, and I've had situations where nothing was taken out.

RuneterranSnap posted...

No? You aren't asking, and it's well established that you have the right to withold taxes from your regular paycheck and pay it yourself. Your employer isn't even required to pay it for you.

You're thinking about deductions which you can refuse even if you're eligible.

If you're paying with a W-2, your medical and SS taxes get taken out first no matter what.

RuneterranSnap posted...

They failed to provide during Covid. Public assistance is so underfunded it might as well not exist. Police across the country are incredibly corrupt and excessively violent while getting a pass. Hate to the point of genocide is being pushed uncontested in multiple states. Healthcare and college for anyone that isn't rich is just a way to create more cattle for corporations to abuse. Minimum wage is almost $15 below what it needs to be.

They're failing their end without question.

You seem to be confusing "not doing their job" with "i disagree with policies"

Vote in November and try not to storm the capitol if you dont get your way on everything

Tyranthraxus posted...

You're thinking about deductions which you can refuse even if you're eligible.

If you're paying with a W-2, your medical and SS taxes get taken out first no matter what.

Or could be confused by additional withholding which is entirely voluntary.

I guess the more troubling aspect is your employer is supposed to give you an statement of how much is deducted for SS/Medicare and withholding since you sort of need those amounts in order to file your taxes.

Hospy posted...

I guess the more troubling aspect is your employer is supposed to give you an statement of how much is deducted for SS/Medicare and withholding since you sort of need those amounts in order to file your taxes.

All that's on your paystub and it's summarized in your W-2.

I don't know what form you fill out for a non payroll where taxes are withheld if such a thing even exists.

g980 posted...

You seem to be confusing "not doing their job" with "i disagree with policies"

I'm not confusing anything. They're failing the people. They've failed me. End of story.

Society would collapse once the funding ran out.

RuneterranSnap posted...

You mean like how all of those are already being hurt by blatant corruption, with the exception of police who are part of the corruption?

What? So you want to stick it to the man by... undercutting the funding for the services that ensure your own and others' wellbeing?

Billyionaire posted...

What? So you want to stick it to the man by... undercutting the funding for the services that ensure your own and others' wellbeing?

Imagine acting like police int he US actually do that

No, I'd rather they do their job without needing masses of angry people forcing them to.

gatorsPENSbucs posted...

Yah Im trying to wonder what even the point of the topic was

Few days back TC was throwing a fit over student loans and making some very thinly veiled threats as to what he would do to the gov/IRS/law enforcement if they tried to collect or penalize him. Some real "why hello thar FBI watch list" type comments.
So today he's on about taxes and encouraging people to break the law

its like talking to the embodiment of every whiny underinformed r/antiwork post

Gotta love the bootlickers