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IRS Oversight Board
Here’s the good news for Uncle Sam: The vast majority of Americans still believe that you should never cheat on your taxes — or, at least, that's what they tell the pollsters representing the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board.
The bad news: The percentage of people who say you should cheat on your income taxes “as much as possible” hit 8 percent in 2011, double what it was in 2010. That’s also higher than any other recent year in which the question was asked.
Another 6 percent of those surveyed said a little cheating here and there is OK.
The oversight board this week released its annual survey of taxpayer’s attitudes about the IRS. The survey was conducted by an outside research firm in August.
For the most part, despite our grumbling, Americans seem to at least accept that taxes are a necessary part of life. Almost everyone surveyed agreed that it is every American's civic duty to pay taxes, and most people said they thought tax cheats should be held accountable.
Still, that doesn’t mean we all feel the need to be the tax police. About six in 10 people said people have a personal responsibility to report tax cheats.
Americans also seem to think we should pay our fair share of taxes because it’s the right thing to do. Most people said their “personal integrity” had a great deal of influence on whether they report their income honestly.
Other factors, such as a fear of an audit, seemed to have less influence.
Related:
Tax time is coming, turn on the computer
Procrastinators rejoice: Tax deadline extended
Leave a Comment:
Stick a fork in us. We're doomed.
As long as my taxdollars are funding illegal, un-winnable wars and colonies on the moon I'm satisfied!!
Nothing more patriotic than paying your taxes. If your unhappy, vote and get involved. Otherwise, move to Somalia.
The fundamental issue is "who declares which wars as illegal, un-winnable wars"? Certainly not people like William.
Whackhead,
Are you for real? Move to Somalia? I don't think so.
Why can't WilliamOfRites just "Occupy America". He has the right to express his thoughts, sit-in, demonstrate anywhere it's permitted in the US. Who are you to dictate where he lives?
Are you always this anxious when others have views different than yours? Where do you get such unsavory ideas? What books are you reading? What have you done for America, lately?
T.Bill - You're doing the same thing that you're accusing Wakehead of, so why don't you get off your high horse. Such hypocrisy is shameful.
unabridged
Uhhh, that would be Congress legally by the Constitution.
P.S. they haven't declared a war since WWII, hence illegal.
As for un-winnable I feel our endless, pointless entanglements in the Middle East speak for themselves.
Reform the government, not your tax form. Seriously, it isn't worth it, given the penalties. I think we all know that many wealthy game the system and those who don't feel justified to cheat based on that. But really, the IRS is the money gatherer for the most powerful nation on earth. And one running a deficit.
Don't forget the 40-year disaster known as the 'War on Drugs.'
Not ONE state is clean, not one city, not even CLOSE.
It's a failure from ANY reasonable perspective, but we keep dumping money into that big bottomless pit of FAIL.
Given how they are used, it's becoming more difficult to swallow the tax bite. But if we don't, it puts the onus on the rest of us. I like being fair.
Yes, it seems that this country is willing to run itself into the deepest rut in order to keep fighting the 'Great War On Drugs'.
Hello folks, send a Freedom Of Information Act request to your Congressmen and ask them for a copy and the name and number of the act that created the IRS as a government agency. All they can come up with is some act of 1862 that establishes the office of commissioner of the IRS. All that did was create the office of the commissioner who is just a figure head of a PRIVATE CORP just as the commissioner of the Federal Reserve is the head of the PRIVATE CORP Federal Reserve.
The IRS is a Criminal Extortion Racket run out of Puerto Rico collecting on the Federal Bankruptcy of 1933.
Trust
I suggest you look up the Revenue Act of 1913 and read the 16th Amendment. Also look up the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894.
Hello slodon, in terms of the Wilson-Gorman Act the Supreme Court found it unconstitutional.
Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co., 157 US 429 (1895)
The US Supreme Court held that federal personal income tax legislation imposing a tax on profits derived from real estate investments, stocks and bonds in "An act to reduce taxation, to provide revenue for the government, and for other purposes," (aka Wilson-Gorman Tariff, 1894) was unconstitutional.
According to the Court, this direct tax was invalid for several reasons: It violated Article I, Sections 2 and 9 of the Constitution because the tax on real estate income wasn't apportioned among the states in according to congressional representation, as required; the tax on profit from stocks and bonds improperly created a burden on state and municipal governments' ability to borrow money; and the tax on municipal bonds constituted a tax on the states, which was considered a violation of Articles IV and V.
Read more: #ixzz1l4Z5NB00
In terms of the 16th Amendment in 1913:
The current income tax, or more rightly a tax on labor is unconstitutional, according to this Supreme Court ruling as labor is legally defined as your personal property and therefore is not subjected to a direct or excise tax.
But we still pay it. Why?????
After an exhaustive year long search of legislative records in 48 sovereign states, Bill Benson wrote his fact findings in The Law That Never Was, Vols. 1 & 2. He was able to unequivocally prove that the 16th Amendment was never Constitutionally, properly, or legally ratified. The only record of the 16th Amendment having been confirmed was a proclamation made by the Secretary of State Philander Knox on February 25, 1913, wherein he simply declared it to be “in effect”, but never stating it was lawfully ratified.
Even if the 16th Amendment were properly ratified, according to Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, it has always been unconstitutional for the U.S. Federal Government to directly tax "We the People" in their property, wages, salaries, or earnings. U.S. Supreme Court Judges repeatedly rejected any claims that the 16th Amendment changed the constitutional limits on direct taxes: Brushaber v. Union Pacific R.R. Co., 240 U.S. 1, The Supreme Court ruled that the 16th "created no new power of taxation" and that it "did not change the constitutional limitations which forbid any direct taxation of individuals". This and other similar cases have never been overturned.
Google The Law That Never Was for more information.
For in depth information regarding the legal rulings by the Supreme court regarding the illegal income tax you can:
Google: The Law That Never Was
This is a direct result of our toxic political environment, where everyone's wrong who doesn't agree with you. Since Congress' approval couldn't be lower, since everyone is convinced the govt is out to get them, since the other party is beholden to special interests and not the general good, what use is paying taxes?
As long as we continue to vilify anyone who disagrees with us, cheating on taxes will seem okay.
Hello AG99, I think where people have a problem is when we are consistently lied to by our government and our constitution becomes abrogated and we have to fight again for the rights our forefathers fought for (we need to re-legalize our constitution). We are treated like mushrooms and don't truly have a say at the decision making table. If you think voting for one party or another constitutes a say at the table you are delusional.
We now have a two headed one party system that serve their masters, Wall Street and the banksters/Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve (which is neither Federal nor a reserve) and their fractional Reserve banking system is at the root of the world’s economic problems. If countries would control their own currency they would be less likely to go into debt and their tax burdens would decrease dramatically. As it stands now, 100 % of all of our income tax leaves America and goes to the foreign banksters through a trust in Puerto Rico to pay the interest on our 16 trillion dollar debt.
The Federal Reserve System is designed to cause economies to fail.
If someone loans you two dollars to run your economy and expects three back for the loan and interest how are you going to pay the third back? You can’t unless you borrow more dollars which puts you in perpetual debt and in a constant borrowing cycle to pay off the debt. This is designed not accidental.
Since the interest under the Federal Reserve System is exponential you can never pay it back. Once again this is designed not accidental.
Hopefully the U.S. citizens of the world will engage in realizing that their financial lives are being controlled by a designed system and group of people whose goal is world domination. This is not conspiracy it is fact!
When a country doesn’t control their own currency they are left to the whims of those who do control the currency.
How do we fix this you may ask? We need to control and change our currency from Federal Reserve Notes to United States Notes. Our constitution, in Article 1 Section 8 outlines that our country has the right to coin our own money and regulate the value thereof. You may ask if that’s all it would take, why don’t we do it?
It’s because throughout our history, we (through our government) have capitulated to the Rothschild’s banking empire who has controlled currency for centuries. This ability to control currency translates into power to control the governments/people and the world. Once again this isn’t conspiracy it is fact.
People need to know how they are being taken advantage of. This will require people to get off their couches and do the research regarding how money is created and how the Feral Reserve is using their fractional reserve banking system to enslave the world. Until there is a collective understanding of this system we will continue to be enslaved.
Once again let's legalize our constituion!
Only Congress has the authority to declare war. However, the president has the authority to commit American troops for armed conflict wherever he chooses, as he did in Libya this past year. This is not illegal, although people like William like to declare it as such. There have been no "illegal wars" in the US, although the far-left miscreants would like to think that all war is illegal.
Trust,
Well said, most people don't realize fractional banking is nothing more than a pyramid scheme, or care to find out how the banking sytem really works. There's too much apathy in our country. People swallow whatever they're fed. People still believe the USA is the richest country in the world. In truth, the USA is the biggest debtor nation in the world. Maybe they're talking about our rich tradition of spending more than we take in.
Just another sign of our moral decline. Obviously their parents didn't teach them anything about right and wrong, stealing, lying . . . .
Why not... our own government steals and lies to us?!?
Nothing is stopping you from emigrating; may I suggest the libertarian paradise of Somalia.
...and I have a suggestion as to where you can go too!
@OurGovSucks: Apparently you never learned "two wrongs don't make a right." Furthermore, if you continue pushing such broad, inflammatory statements at least have the courtesy to back them up with proven fact.
@Thautrane: Seriously?
OurGovSucks
You must watch FOX.
Give all the good things that my tax dollars support - the things that make my standard of living one of the highest in the world, I'd say I'm getting a pretty good bargain. Why is it that some people think that their opinion exempts them from the rules that govern us all?
Minan59: Of course something is stopping people from emigrating. You think you can just move to another country simply because you want to?
I guess you've never heard of illegal immigration.
WilliamOfRites... I don't watch any of the crap media from the US... I watch quality! BBC!!!!!
Thautrane... Its my opinion, just like you have one as well. I don't have to back anything up!
OurGovSucks - So you live in Britain, correct? Then why comment about something going on in the U.S.? Protest to your own government. We have more than enough people over here to protest our government's actions without chatter from abroad. God Save The Queen, and all that blather.
DMan, contrary to semi-popular belief there are people that like to keep up to date on world affairs and in other countries that could directly affect theirs.
Also he only stated he watches the BBC. You can get it on almost any television providers advanced tier, so in fact you do not know, based on what news program the watch, in which country someone lives.
OurGovSucks,
True the Gov does lie to us, probably more often them most would like to admit, however the recourse to that is not to sink down to such lowly levels. People with integrity will always take the high ground and those with weak convictions and whom lack integrity will look for the easy way out.
dman1115
I also watch BBC news. Their news about the US, doesn't seem slanted politically, like fox and msnbc.
tweet,
Fox and msnbc politically slanted? Show me ONE newspaper or news website that isn't politically slanted.
Is it not true that if one listens to news in a country unassociated to the subject country, that the reporting will seem to be more true? No matter where one is in the world?
dman1115... I live in the US for your information. God save oboma and all that blather! He needs someone to save him.
Geowil... 'People with integrity will always take the high ground and those with weak convictions and whom lack integrity will look for the easy way out.'
If that is true, then that why most of our poloticians are weak and lack integrity.
Your tax dollars go to pay interest for money that was created out of nothing when the government borrowed it. Same as your mortgage. When we borrow banks create money and they demand interest for it. Then you wonder why the government cannot balance the budget with your tax dollars. Let me spell it out for you: Entire money in existence is not enough to pay the debt. Google for "How do banks create money" to understand how deep the rabbit hole goes.
No one is more of a slave than he who thinks himself free without being so. - Goethe
For a few dollars more..is it worth it to cheat on taxes..don't think so.
For millions of dollars people do it but most people not in those income brackets...like..Leona Helmsley,Welsy Snipes,Nicolas Cage,Martha Stweart,Mitt Romney and Willie Nelson.
Remember when Bill Clinton claimed a pair of used underwear he gave to charity was worth $20.00?
LOL!!! Great role-models we have...
Whoa! Hold on, Mike! Before you just throw Mitt Romney's name out there as a tax cheat you should have facts to back that up! He pays every dollar that he is required to pay, and not a dollar more, and there has been NO eveidence to the contrary! If you are unhappy with how much he pays, VOTE, and elect people who will compile a better tax structure for this country! Don't just throw his name out there!
Mike277... I'm not a fan of Mitt Romney's by any stretch of the imagination, but I am also not a fan of people who spread false rumors, either. Where is your proof that he cheats on his taxes? I think you're full of crap.
Everybody keeps saying "If you don't like it, then vote for somebody that will do differently". That's a great sentiment, however, all ideological differences between the two parties aside, politicians of both parties are very happy to maintain the status qua of corruption, loopholes, and stacking the deck in favor of powerful, big money special interests. So voting will not change the system until a way to remove the power of money from the election system is put in place. Again, not something that's going to happen since the politicians in office have absolutely no incentive to do so.
So the old, "If you don't like it, vote" is quaint, but sadly no longer relevant.
hs321,
and just what is wrong with him claiming that pair of underwear at $20.00? The drawers may not be worth that but I'm sure the lipstick smears were worth the price.
Hiding MILLIONS in a Swiss bank account and not declaring it for taxes reasons is a tax cheat (Mitt Romney did this).Its called tax envasion, been in the news past week!
John, Has the IRS started proceedings to indict and convict Romney?
The IRS can't do that, he's a REPUBLICAN.
John Williams is correct..I read an article about this too.
Thank you for your service John.
OK, I just went and searched the articles yesterday. The issue was not that he didn't pay taxes. It is that he did not disclose them on his financial disclosure forms required by the FEC. Do you have any other articles or infomation saying he did not pay income taxes on these monies?
Why do Progressives always forget people like Charlie Rangel?
I did some research and putting your money in foreign banks is legal as long as you pay the income tax when you withdraw any profit on the investment. In fact, many investment firms recommend you invest in sound foreign banks. The Swiss have a sound economy. A good place to invest. Also, did you know the primary reason companies leave the USA. Not because of labor wages, but government regulations which cause cost to to be extremely high for starting and maintaining a business.
That money was declared on his taxes it was not labeled properly for declaration form when he submitted it for Presidential run.
You miss read it.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/01/romneys-swiss-bank-account-is-a-gift-for-democrats/251893/
We're talking about 8% of the population. This tells me that we a lot of money on the IRS to manage only 8% of our population.
But the real number is much higher. How many people claim charitable donations they didn't make?
Bear, no we are talking about 8% of the polled subjects. There is no way they polled all 280 million tax payers, it is logistically impossible and this was a question not a stated fact. They asked the polled subjects if they felt that you should cheat on taxes. Obviously the ones that said yes were either die hard, starve the beast-ers, high wage earners, or some other class of misinformed idiots.
But you are right, way more then 8% cheat on their taxes or pay none at all because of loopholes and deductions. We need to have a tiered flat tax that covers all forms on income from salary based income to capital gains and on US owned foreign accounts. No loop holes, no deductions, no lobbying for perks in the tax code, no gimmicks to pass the cost to the customer or moving the money off shore to avoid taxes.
Any dollar earned here should get taxed before it can leave the country.
Geowil, you can't just make it that simple unless you reform the whole system. I rent out a house that I own (by necessity, not choice) and my tenants' rent counts as income for me. However, my costs to carry the house exceed what I receive in rent. You can't count the rent I receive as income unless I can deduct the expenses I pay for that house. I agree that a flat tax system would be ideal, but only if it pertains to non-business income.
Geowil, that is why a sample has a margin of error. The polling is accurate within a +/- x points. It may be 10% or it may be 6%.
i know so many people that cheat,it's really bad now . how about claiming kids that you no longer have anything to do with,such as someone is on unemployment and the ex is on welfare with the kids and the guys are claiming them and saying -" hey,i gotta pay child support at least i should get this money" -- there just isn't enough IRS workers to go after them for this and the kids suffer .... it makes me sick .... and no more savings bonds? whats a grandparent to do for those kids now?i'm on SSI and i say thank you america for this short money,but i can't even rent anymore - no i'm living in a camper(1968)(in a storage yard,hiding out) craping in a bucket and its snowing and cold in ohio and no one will miss us,and yes i am a vet without a card (term of service 1973-74)(honarable,us navy) so help me god.... i'm tired --- but i really hate those that cheat,please do something about the cheaters....
At least you have your computer to crap in also!
You sound like you are in dire straights. How do you know so many people that cheat on their taxes? Out of all the people you know, how many can you be sure are cheating? Give us some numbers, and we'll figure the percentage for you.
I call BS. Living in a camper, crapping in a bucket in the cold, BUT.....on line posting to newsvine. Riiiiiiiiiight.
tym2show, some states open up national guard amorys for cold weather shelter. If not Ohio, you are not far from one that does.
Tax laws, like all laws, are a matter of interpretation. The tax code is so arcane and complex that no matter what you do, you are not completing your returns correctly! Call the IRS three times about any given tax entry, and chances are you'll get different answers about what is "correct".
So whether you think you're cheating on your taxes or not, you aren't filing them correctly regardless. The whole thing is a sham. So what difference does it make if you don't file that $2 you earned in interest from a forgotten savings account?
It doesn't.
Actually it does matter but the IRS is not going to waste ten grand to track you down over 2 measly dollars.
Umm, the bar graph is incorrect. The orange portion should be labeled 'As much as possible' and the gray portion 'A little here and there'...
I noticed that as well but I thought that maybe the article was wrong in which category it was stating.
I don't "fudge" on my taxes, not because of any moral issue...but because it's not worth the risk. The IRS runs a "protection" racket. Pay up and nothing bad happens.
A great American (Will Rogers) once said " America is the greatest nation on earth, but you cant live here for free"
I have actually been helped a couple of times by the IRS. Each time I had overpaid, because I was too cautious about using tax credits or exempting income that was not taxable. They could have just ignored it, but it helped a lot when I had recently become unemployed. Saved me a lot of stress. I do have to say that some of the rules are so confusing, but Congress makes a mess of things, and the IRS attempts to write instructions for the mess. Each year I think a Value Added Tax (VAT) system would be better. Basically a single tax on ALL goods AND services.
The really funny part is the same people who cheat on their taxes and steal 2,000 dollars in a white collar crime will be up in arms over the minority kid that boosts a car or robs the convenience store.
Unlike Geithner, Barney Frank, Mister Rangel, and a boat load of other government officials who "conveniently" forget to claim or file... most of us law-abiding citizens do what is required and expected of us.
Why? Morales perhaps, but probably more so is the possible invitation to an IRS audit that can make you life miserable is the main reason. I sure as hell don't need that extra grief in my life. I begrudgingly play by the rules; grin and bear it. BUT, if the IRS really wanted to cut cheating/lying/fudging-of-numbers out of the equation...they'd restructure the code to a simple flat tax...lower tax rates but eliminate deductions. One page..."I made this, I owe that." So easy a monkey could do it.
Taxation without representation...? Didn't we end up in a war over this back in the mid 1700s? The government squanders our tax dollars on useless programs that benefit the elite only, buy votes, and buy influence from countries that hate us (because of their policies). Oh...did I mention playing world kop when it can't even runits own affairs. I officially quit pay paying taxes this year and I don't see myself doing so again until I see some REAL leadership in Washington. From the looks of things, I have a feeling that is going to be a L O N G time.
crockett... since you aren't paying your taxes this year that means you cannot use the roads, go to the emergency room, expect the fire department to put out that fire in your house, no ambulance for you and no police protection when i come and rob your house.
"Taxation without representation"... Ha you are represented by the GOP who allows ALEC, corporations and the wealthy to write the tax codes and legislation.
AMF id10t
LOL Taxation witout representation. LMAO Crockett is clueless.
notliboricon...everyone pays taxes but obviously my precious DF you don't know revenues or tax codes. Your vehicle registration, drivers license fees and gasoline excise taxes cover roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, etc....
Folks who are not a crack heads, prison inmates, illegal aliens, or billionaires, do not qualify for access to healthcare if they are unemployed and uninsured so your point about emergency rooms is moot. Besides, if you are uninsured they charge you far more money for services than someone who is insured. SCAM. So your ambulance services is moot as well. Fire, police and ambulance services are covered by property taxes, sales taxes, intangible taxes, and other misc taxes levied on services...hotels/resorts, gas pumps, tourism, etc.... So you have proven yourself to be quite a clueless NC mouthpiece and rube.
As for you Sally...seriously consider sending you brain in for servicing; it's long overdue. Furthermore, being dumb and republican is no way to go through life.
"The government squanders our tax dollars on useless programs that benefit the elite only"
sorry man you need to do more research,,,100% of ALL federal income taxes goes SOLEY to pay the interest on the loans that our government has taken out from the federal reserve.
thats it,,federal income taxes dont go for roads or schools or ANYTHING,,,EVERY BIT OF IT GOES TO PAY INTEREST ON LOANS
Your wrong about 40% goes to the interest.
sjhrac....you are about 7 - 10 years ahead in the future. You will be correct then.
Auto 101 you are ball park. Won't it be just great should republicans get in the white house....happy days are here again!!! Cut taxes and fund EVERYTHING with even more tax cuts!!!!
Crokett is right! Until we the people are properly represented, we should not pay taxes! YAY!!!!!!!!
Most data on income is now provided to the IRS electronically. Data on property taxes and other items commonly used for deductions is available electronically to the IRS. In 2011 financial firms for the first time were required to provide electronic files on all brokerage account investment transactions. We are in the computer age. More and more of the data you put on tax forms is being crosschecked by computers, not IRS personnel.
Civic duty? Hardly. More like federal law. Big difference.
I pay a fortune for an accountant to figure out ever changing, overly complicated tax laws and I pay what taxes are due. I don't hide money off shore or anywhere for that matter, I don't have enough because I pay my fair share. Taxes are wiping me out, by next year if my house isn't sold I will be another victim of the insider bank robbery. 44 years working, collected unemployment 1 week, this is where honesty will get you. But I was brought up to do right. I wish other would do the same. When all our political leaders are inside trading, making government deals for friends and supporters, hiding money overseas, it doesn't set much of an example.
I am not sure on this, but is it really necessary to have an accountant if you do not own a business? Some communities provide free or low-cost tax assistance, which is just as credible.
Just made my last payment to IRS. Here's how they work; You owe $5,000.00 in Tax, they will wait for years to go after it. When they do you will owe $15,000.00 or more, usually the latter. They went to a friends house to collect and while sitting at the table discussing the matter, the IRS agent looked at my buddy's wife's wedding ring and asked how much it was worth, to go towards the outstanding balance. They got Me Twice, the first time! and the last time!
No need to cheat...make yourself an LLC or partnership and never pay full taxes again...it's amazing what can be deducted under a corporate umbrella..and the best part is that most income is self reported so as long as you account for any 1099's the skys the limit on creative income accounting..and its all legal...just like the big boys do it...
Can you prove the deductions are legitimate business expenses if audited? If not, you will owe more taxes plus the cost of representation, if you choose, when audited.
the biggest group of people who try to cheat on their taxes and get tax credits they don't deserve are the lovely illegal immigrants who work using fake SSN's and try to claim every child they can for the child tax credit and some tax prep places help them cheat.....
It is time to overhaul the enitre IRS and make penalties for cheating on your taxes stiffer.
I have never cheated on my taxes and twice I have gotten a refund from the IRS for a credit I over looked.
Come on people, be glad your tax dollars are not going to support an outdated monarchy..........
Yes, you are very confused!
The illegals have social security and taxes (federal, state, local) all taken out of their paychecks. They do not file. Therefore all of the withholdings are kept by the goverment, even though if they were legal, and made the same income, they would be eligible for tax credits and would pay significantly less (ie it would be refunded) if not actually recieve money from the goverment.
Looking at taxes alone (there are other considerations), illegal immigrants who are using fake id's to work "on the books" are actually contributing much more than their legal equivilants.
Our 15 Trillion Dollar deficit is not caused by the tax payer that always "rounds down" Get a grip people.