What Not to Say About Why You Don’t Owe Income Tax April 15, 2009 Josh Barro Josh Barro On the subject of Tax Myth #1 in Gerald and Joe’s post earlier today (“You aren’t legally required to pay the federal income tax”) the IRS has a handy list of claims not to make when you tell them you don’t have to pay income tax. Arguments listed as verboten include: Men and women are not “persons” as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, and therefore are not subject to income tax; You don’t have to pay Social Security tax if you agree to forego Social Security benefits; U.S. dollar compensation is not “income” subject to tax because the dollar is a fake currency not backed by precious metal; The Sixteenth Amendment was never ratified; The First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, Thirteenth or Fourteenth Amendment either bars the imposition of income tax or allows you to refuse to pay under certain conditions; And over 40 other claims. I suggest you pay attention to the list: the IRS website notes, “Taxpayers who file a tax return or make a submission based on one of the positions on the list are subject to a $5,000 penalty.” Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you. Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe Share Tweet Share Email Topics Center for Federal Tax Policy Individual Income and Payroll Taxes Tax Law