 |
|
|
| 4/16/2008 9:36:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
|
| Joe Baker, left, discusses the federal and state income tax system with James Klink, Burlington, in front of the Burlington Post Office Tuesday morning. Klink said he had already paid his 2007 taxes. Baker said he hasn’t filed a return since 1998. |
|
Tax time is no time to
file taxes, protestor says
Local man hasn’t filed a return since 1998
Patricia Bogumil
Staff Writer
Joseph Baker, Burlington, celebrated April 15 by not filing his federal and state income tax returns - again.
Baker, a network administrator for a software company, paraded up and down the sidewalk by the Burlington Post Office Tuesday.
He carried placards with the hand-painted messages: "What income tax?" and "IRS Truth Attack!" and wore a "Ron Paul for President" button on his jacket.
Baker told passersby who stopped that he hasn't filed an income tax return since 1998, although withholding tax has been taken out of his paychecks.
"It's not that I wasn't trying," Baker said. But some of his past returns were complicated, with income from consulting jobs, he said.
The returns ended up getting filed late; then late fees he describes as "horrible" kicked in, and now he hasn't filed in 10 years, Baker explained.
On Monday, Baker sent the State of Wisconsin a letter challenging the state taxes it has collected as well as the taxes the state says are past due.
The State of Wisconsin Circuit Court system shows Baker with an active delinquent tax warrant of $47,550 for 1999 and 2000 taxes.
That's about $30,000 the courts have judged he owes in state taxes, plus another $17,550 in interest and penalty.
While that kind of legal hassle - as well as fear of federal prison - might scare off most people from joining in a personal tax protest, Baker is outspokenly outraged at a system he believes is a fraud.
"I believe income tax amounts to involuntary service, and that's prohibited by both the U.S. and the state constitutions," Baker explained.
The tax codes make reference to "voluntary compliance" with income tax rules, rather than forced compliance, he said.
In his April 14 letter to the state, Baker states that he does not volunteer to participate or contribute taxes as of Jan. 1, 1999.
He asks that all his withholdings and wage attachments since 1999 be paid back to him at face value in gold or silver coins, per the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 10.
He also instructs the state to remove the $47,000 lien it has placed on his family's house on Lewis Street, Burlington.
For more information, Baker suggests taxpayers visit the Web sites http://www.truthattack.org and http://groups.google.com/group/brpw.
|
Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, October 05, 2008
Article comment by:
Joe Baker
I'm still not in prison. I am looking forward to protesting again April 15th, 2009.
I encourage all of you to demand that your employers stop aiding the robbing of your paychecks.
Posted: Monday, April 21, 2008
Article comment by:
Bruce Rideout
Every word Mr. Baker says is true. Which points up the sad fact that judges, courts, state and federal governments, and all of our representitives have sold out our constitutions. So much so they will send Joe Baker to prison to perpetuate the sell out.
Now if several milion Wisconsin taxpayers were to do what Joe Baker has done, think we the people would be listened to?
Posted: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Article comment by:
Michael S. Murphy
Good for you!!! I hope you win!
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
|
|
|
|
