The Defends Rests In the Wesley Snipes Case...

[dudalb]

Now he is claiming he was misled by the Income Tax Protestors,Something tells me the Jury will not be buying that.
Maybe Snipes getting some jail time will sober up some of these "You Don't have to Pay Income Taxes" kooks.
If you don't like the Income Tax and want to repeal it,fine. Just don't tell me you don't have to pay it.

[Gazpacho]

Now he is claiming he was misled by the Income Tax Protestors,Something tells me the Jury will not be buying that.
Misled him into writing bad checks and ignoring repeated warnings from the IRS that he was violating the law... right.

I have no great desire to see Snipes go to prison, even for a week, but the facts aren't on his side and the tax protesters will jump at any chance to declare victory.

[rjh01]

You are legally obliged to pay tax. Failure to pay is a crime. Since he did not pay tax it was like robbing the government of tens of millions of dollars. That deserves serious jail time. The fact that he did it openly is not relevant. ddddd
Here is a link about him Jury to Start Deliberations in Wesley Snipes Tax Case (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/business/30tax.html?ref=business)

Edit The above does not include people who have no or very low income.

[luchog]

That's the trouble with too many modern "civil disobedience" movements -- even when they're right, they're still often unrealistic, even stupid, in their goals and expectations. They just don't take the time to think about the fact that civil disobedience often means that they're just as likely to become martyrs as they are triumphant figures. They don't learn from history that a great many of those involved in even the most noble civil disobedience actions ended up jailed, or worse; let alone the number of idiots who didn't really have a clue what they were doing or why.

[Suddenly]

An important thing to remember is that if the jury believes that Snipes really believed in his mind that he didn't have to pay income tax, Snipes should be acquitted.

When dealing with a criminal charge of failure to pay income tax, the government has the somewhat unique burden to show that the defendant actually knew that he was breaking the law. Quite often tax protestors are acquitted on this basis, more or less that they are dumb enough to believe these crackpot theories.

This does not make them right, or even save them from civil liability for back taxes, interest, and penalties. It just keeps them out of jail and gives the TP movement ammo when trying to scam fresh fish.

[Lisa Simpson]

ACQUITTED!! Mostly, anyway.

http://www.tmz.com/2008/02/01/always-bet-on-black-snipes-acquitted-of-most-charges/

[dudalb]

Split verdict.
It's no victory for Snipes.
I guess the jury felt he honestly felt he did not need to pay his taxes and/or he was misled,but did not want him to get away scott free.

[Suddenly]

Good chance he was unfairly convicted, but as injustices go on a scale of one to ten this is maybe 1.000001.

[Ranb]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/01/snipes.court.ap/index.html

“A jury in Florida has acquitted actor Wesley Snipes of federal tax-fraud and conspiracy charges, but convicted him of failing to file tax returns. Snipes could now be sentenced to as much as three years in prison.”

Knowing that filing an income tax return is voluntary, why is he facing prison time? CNN is missing something here. Shouldn’t he be facing time for failing to pay taxes instead?

Ranb

[shadron]

Knowing that filing an income tax return is voluntary...

Uhhhhh....... How do you figure that?

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/26/usc_sec_26_00007203----000-.html

[Ranb]

I remember hearing (years ago), that filing a return was voluntary, but paying the tax was not. I guess I am out of date. I have never been bothered in the past for failing to file a return. I had paid the tax, just never got a refund (a few dollars) for those years.

Ranb

[Suddenly]

Right. If they owe you money, they aren't going to come after you to file a return and get it....

[Bob Klase]

Good chance he was unfairly convicted, but as injustices go on a scale of one to ten this is maybe 1.000001.

Better chance he was unfairly acquitted. I'd make that a .95 based on what I know. It's likely the jury learned more than I know, but being a celebrity can also tip things in your favor.

[patchbunny]

I remember hearing (years ago), that filing a return was voluntary, but paying the tax was not. I guess I am out of date. I have never been bothered in the past for failing to file a return. I had paid the tax, just never got a refund (a few dollars) for those years.

Ranb

'Voluntary" means that it is up to you to determine your income tax and file it, rather than the government.

See here (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=106502,00.html):

"The Law: The word "voluntary," as used in Flora and in IRS publications, refers to our system of allowing taxpayers to determine the correct amount of tax and complete the appropriate returns, rather than have the government determine tax for them. The requirement to file an income tax return is not voluntary and is clearly set forth in Internal Revenue Code §§ 6011(a) , 6012(a) , et seq., and 6072(a). See also Treas. Reg. § 1.6011-1(a)."

[XBoxWarrior]

Well, I see prison in my future.........dammit.

Oh well, I guess I got to use the "freeways".

If I get the intertubes in prison, can I ask ya'll for some "commissary" change?

If not for the ex-wife, and the child-support, I coulda paid George W. Bush to kill the damn Iraqi's.......

I need another job. ;)

[PogoPedant]

Right. If they owe you money, they aren't going to come after you to file a return and get it....

True story from Norway. A number of unfortunate coincidences (including me slowly loosing my ability to manage myself) led to me forgetting to hand in my tax-return equivalent* and was fined some small percentage (permillage?) of my annual income. When my taxes were finally calculated, the government ended up paying me back my fine three times over. :)


* and considering my tax-status and the way tax-returns are done in this lovely nation, that's ALL on my head, I'm afraid.

[Vic Vega]

I have no great desire to see Snipes go to prison, even for a week, but the facts aren't on his side and the tax protesters will jump at any chance to declare victory.

I pay my taxes. I do have a great desire to see anyone who doesn't go to jail. Especially when it's a multi-millionaire.

When Wesley Snipes doesn't pay taxes, he is stealing from me and my family.