Chris Coverdale Imprisoned for Terror Tax Refusal

Here are a few more details about war tax resister Chris Coverdale, who is currently imprisoned in the U.K. for his refusal to pay tax on the grounds that he would be thereby supporting the terrorist activities of the government:

• Tax Rebellion — a site associated with Coverdale’s action; the subtitle is “When war is illegal paying tax is a war crime.”
• There’s a “Free Chris Coverdale” Facebook group if you’re in to that sort of thing.
• “Rye man refuses to pay tax on terrorism beliefs” from the Rye & Battle Observer
• “Chris Coverdale imprisoned for council tax resistance” from Peace News
• “Sussex man refuses to pay council tax on terrorism beliefs” from Hastings & St. Leonards Observer
• “Council tax refusenik loses court battle” from The Argus (from last year)

Coverdale started serving a 42-day sentence on 7 October. You can write to him at the following prison address:

Christopher Coverdale, #A1279DP
HMP Lewes
1 Brigton Road
Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1EA

I’m not entirely confident about my understanding of how the legal system works across the pond, but some of what I read suggests that Coverdale is effectively burning off his tax debt by serving prison time, so that when he is released he will no longer owe the amount.

A U.K. correspondent informs me that this suggestion is not correct, and that Coverdale will still be considered liable for the tax upon his release.

This “extract from a letter received this morning at our office from a Gentleman of high character and the most unquestionable veracity” comes from The Morning Post of 26 October 1833:

Middleton, Oct. 19, 1833. — Rents have at length been resisted in this county; a few days ago Mr. Spratt, of Pencil Hill, near Mallow, went to a tenant to receive his rent on an appointed day, but instead of his money he was told that the men had removed the cattle, corn, &c. &c., and desired him to get what he could, adding, that passive resistance need not be resorted to, as the people were determined to be no longer oppressed by rents, tithes, or taxes, and that they knew how to right themselves. There have been several instances of a similar nature, especially in the barony of Duhallow, where the above occurred. The Mail often told with its own powerful voice what the effect of the “passive resistance” system, so absurdly encouraged by the Whigs, would end in.