What is war tax resistance (WTR)?

WTR is the strategic practice of lowering or withholding money "owed" in federal taxes as a protest of how much of our tax money goes towards the military. WTR is a longstanding method of protest with immense creative potential both in the methods and strategies of tax withholding and in the ways we choose to redirect that money into our communities instead. WTR is customizable to fit your goals, beliefs, and risk levels. ​

​

 

​​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

​​

​

​

​​​​

​​How can I resist?

​Practicing tax resistance can look a variety of ways. Each method carries its own risk level and different methods make sense for different people. Please visit the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee at nwtrcc.org for a more comprehensive discussion of strategies, risks, and history of WTR. Please also see our Events calendar for workshops or direct personalized questions to our contact page to be connected with our experienced WTR counsellors who can offer advice.

​

Earning less than the taxable income. Some people live purposefully below the taxable income or make wages under the table so as to not owe income taxes at all. 

​

Filing a return while refusing to pay a portion of taxes. Filing a tax return even if withholding your taxes can be a smart choice. While there is a 10 year statute of limitations on collecting back taxes for returns filed, there is no statute of limitations for returns that were not filed. Some choose to withhold the same percentage of their owed taxes as the government allocates to military spending. Some withhold 100%. Some choose to file their tax return with a letter explaining their protest. 

​

Increasing your W-4 deductions. For salaried employees, increasing deductions is a way to ensure you owe more in taxes come April and thus are able to withhold your desired amount at that time

​

Legal methods of protest. Pay your taxes in coins! Write a letter to the IRS accompanying your tax return, expressing your protest.​

​

Making a difference - redirecting our resisted taxes.

We get to choose where to put the money we would have paid to the federal government. Each year, Oregon Community Peace Fund hosts a Tax Day Redirection Ceremony where we choose as a group where we want to divert our pooled resisted taxes. We get to enjoy the fact that we are putting our money where we want it to go.