Fifteen Ways to Stop Paying for War

There must be fifteen ways to stop paying for the war…

  1. Join the “Don’t Buy Bush’s War” campaign

    Take the pledge to refuse to pay a portion of your income tax when 100,000 others pledge likewise.

  2. Join the War Tax Boycott

    Beat the rush and sign up now to start resisting your income tax right away.

  3. Get under the tax line

    More than a third of Americans live under the income tax line today, and with a little knowledge of tax law (and some frugal living strategies) you could be one of them.

  4. Dig the underground economy

    Millions of Americans bring in significant earnings from the underground economy, which represents about 10% of the gross domestic product. The IRS believes that the government loses some $200 billion each year because of its inability to enforce a tax on these transactions.

  5. Stop smoking

    There’s a federal excise tax of 39 cents on every pack of cigarettes sold in the United States. Drop your smoking habit, and maybe you’ll help Congress cut down on their war spending as well.

  6. Homebrew your own beer & wine

    It’s legal (and fun!) to brew your own beer and wine. And when you do, you avoid paying the federal excise tax on alcoholic beverages.

  7. Do-it-Yourself

    When you do it yourself — whether it’s repairs around the house or cooking your own meals or growing your own vegetables — you replace taxed commercial transactions with untaxed personal development.

  8. Choose a credit union over a bank

    Banks are taxed on the profits they make with your money. Credit unions aren’t. Enough said.

  9. Try barter

    Good old trade — you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. The IRS considers barter to be a taxable transaction, but they have to catch you first!

  10. Take up freecycling instead when you have the urge to splurge

    Freecyclers use the internet to publish lists of the goods they would like either to give away or to find. You can find anything from building materials to furniture to textbooks to computer parts to baby products to bicycles to guitars and more — all completely free of charge. The less money you earn and the less money you spend, the less chance the government has to tax you.

  11. Leave the car in the garage

    Every gallon of gas you put in the tank is another 18.4 cents you’re sending to Congress (even more if you drive a diesel). Besides, we all know that the government wouldn’t be so eager to invade Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran if they weren’t sitting atop all that car juice.

  12. Stop paying your phone tax

    Each month, most of us unknowingly contribute to the policies we resolutely oppose — because every local telephone bill includes a 3% federal excise tax. It’s easy to stop paying this tax.

  13. Quit your job and start working for yourself

    You can take more control over your income, your tax withholding, and your tax deductions by going into business for yourself. C’mon. You know you want to.

  14. Leave the country and become a taxpatriate

    The IRS will still try to tax you and your income anywhere in the world, but if you’re in another country they’ll have to try a lot harder.

  15. Volunteer to help people get tax refunds

    Every year, thousands of low-income Americans who are due tax refunds fail to get them because they are baffled by the complexity of tax filing. The IRS will train you, free-of-charge, to volunteer to help low-income families file for the tax refunds that are coming to them.


Here are a few more Don’t Buy Bush’s War tax resisters who have signed the pledge :

Great mission. Time for change is here!
Pat Walker, Cleveland, Ohio
As a former infantryman who served two tours in Iraq, it’s time we start taking more drastic measures to get this Administration to listen to the people.
Robert Huddleston, San Francisco, California
Way to go! No more taxes for Bush’s bullying behavior.
Sharon Parshall, Fall City, Washington
As a veteran of the Iraq war I can’t think of a better way of getting this Administration to listen to the people.
Linsay Roussou Burnett, Marshall, Virginia
I will definitely do this! We must stop the fear-mongering. What kind of a life are we living if we live in fear?
Tanya Boone-Alva, Cotati, California
I commend the war resistance actions that have been undertaken leading up to this momentous step; and I commend the sobriety with which you are leading this very needed campaign.
Marcus Mosbacker, Brownsville, Texas
I have already been withholding .
Linda York, Seattle, Washington
Withhold all of your taxes! A token amount is good, but they will still use what amount you DO pay to help pay for war. The punishment will not significantly vary if you withhold $300 instead of $50 or $100. Thank you to everyone for participating in this protest! They can’t bomb anyone if we won’t give them the money to do so.
anonymous, Seattle, Washington
I’ll pay any amount of my income for education, healthcare, socially useful infrastructure, environmental protection and human welfare, but not a penny more for your illegal wars.
James LeJeune, Traverse City, Michigan