Student Loses Car For Not Paying Tax
Austin, Tex. (AP) — Arnold Cuba, who lost his car to tax men after he refused to pay a telephone charge in protest against the Indochina War, says he will try to buy the car back at a public auction.
Cuba, a University of Texas junior, said Direct Action, the antiwar group that encouraged him not to pay the tax, also is going to try to raise money to get the car back.
Cuba returned from classes last Wednesday to find his yellow Volkswagen missing and a notice from the Internal Revenue Service that his car — which he bought new for $2,400 — had been taken because he refused to pay a $2.44 telephone tax.
The bill has now grown to $5.53, and he also owes $29.50 for hauling and storage of the car and said he will be charged for other “incidental” fees by the IRS.
An IRS spokesman said the car will be sold at public austin [sic], and the $2.44 will be deducted from the amount paid for the car and the remainder given to Cuba.
If Cuba’s bid is the highest, however, he will get the car back by just paying the $2.44 and fees.
“I plan to bid what I think it is worth… if someone else bids higher, I will make a profit,” Cuba said.
Some historical and global examples of tax resistance → United States → Vietnam War, ~1965–75 → Arnold Cuba
