Why I Stopped Paying Taxes

Quaker War Tax Resistance: In 1994, Joseph Olejak stopped paying taxes. Find out why, and what his Quaker Meeting did when it landed him in jail.

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Transcript:

My name is Joseph Olejak, I live in Chatham Center, and I attend the Old Chatham Quaker Meeting. My war tax resistance started in 1994. I was listening to “60 Minutes” and Leslie Stahl was interviewing Madeleine Albright, and she asked Madeleine Albright the question: “Was the sacrifice of a half a million children in Iraq, due to the embargo of food and medicine, worth it?” And without skipping a beat, Madeline Albright said, “Yes.”

I knew at that moment, I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t support the war. And I felt compelled to take an action.

Withholding Taxes

In 1994, I started my tax resistance by just not filling. I got the stuff from my accountant back and it had the whole form filled out and the amount that was due and I was holding it in front of me and I just looked at the numbers and I thought, “How much of this is going to go toward creating bombs and guns and nuclear weapons and everything else?” And I just set it down. And I didn’t file.

Quakers and War

The way Quakers look at war is that, when we destroy other human beings, we’re not only destroying humanity but we’re also destroying that in humanity which is a reflection of God. In the Bible, one of the things that Christ himself said was that you should do unto others as you would do unto yourself, and if you love me, you would love your brethren. And that’s really what it stems from.

And if we take that, along with the commandment to not kill, I think it’s pretty clear. It’s unequivocal. There’s no fine print there.

Where Our Tax Dollars Go

When we write that check to the IRS, we often don’t think about where those tax dollars go. According to the American Friends Service Committee, about 57% of those tax dollars are going either to the preparation for war, funding the debt on war, or funding nuclear weapons. 57% of every dollar is an awful lot of money.

If there was indeed a Peace Tax, you would write that check and what the peace tax law would say is, the funds that you’re giving to government are going to be used to support things that are other than war. I think, given our long history as peaceniks, Quakers should definitely have an exception for where their money goes, and anyone else who is a Christian who feels uncomfortable paying for war.

Facing the Consequences

In April of 2009, 11 armed IRS agents in Kevlar vests came into my office and removed all my books and records. And that’s when the prosecution started. I pled guilty to one count of willful failure to file, and told the probation department when I had my interview that I was a Quaker and that did what I did because of conscientious objections to war.

They were pretty lenient on me. They gave me 26 weekends in the county jail, which I’ve completed, and now I’m on probation for 5 years. When I was in the Columbia County jail for my war tax resistance sentence, the Meeting was deeply involved. A lot of people came and visited me, they called me up, they asked me questions, and it was really good. I would say that my spiritual family supported me more than my blood family, which was surprising.

A Step of Faith

Martin Luther King said you don’t need to see the top of the stairs to take the next step. At the time, I felt like there was an important step that needed to be taken, and I took it. Really, it was a step of faith. And, you know, I’m still alive. I’m still here. I still have food. I still have clothing. I still have the support of my children and my Meeting and I think it’s going to be OK.

I’m not unhappy with the decision I took. I won’t say that it hasn’t had its challenges, but I think the challenges have helped me to grow in my faith and have helped to make the world a better place. I know I’ve only done it on a small scale, but I think, with the help of my Meeting and with the growing awareness of the need for peace and a Peace Tax, I’m hoping that this action will shed light and help peace to grow.

[zacharygreene]

If everyone stopped paying taxes all together at the same time there is nothing "they" could do about it

[rolandoorozco]

I see a good man speaking truth.Right on for taking the hard path.This man picked up his cross.Hero

[A.M.E-K--]

I’m from Iraq lived thru the economic embargo the United States govt placed on my country. I know what mean to be hungry and deprived from the basics needs for living. Thank you for taking a stand and your actions may have not got you but troubles but I appreciated you.

[TheLadyajb]

Knowing that he is a Quaker and probably has meetings on the weekends, they sentenced him only on weekends to try and take his support system WOW!

[showtown]

This is what a true hero looks like. Thanks for your services man

[rainmaker]

as someone that stopped filing in 2002 when I found out about how our government was responsible for 9/11 I as a single person with no kids look up to this man for his character and will to do what was in his heart

I am not a quaker but will never understand how all my born again friends clients and colleagues dont see the eye of an eye as a regressive trait and while I would support my military if it was only self defensse I think eveyone reading knows that we have had bases in other countries for a long long time and even a Fed Reserve that was not Federal in many other countiies well

thank you sir I did not know your story before today but I am glad to have heard it and met you though you tube

[TheJahsoldier]

utmost respect...if we all pull the plug..

[BillHendricksShadowmason]

I appreciate your courage... and your conviction. Most of all, you didn't cheat the tax system, and kept your testimony towards truth and integrity. I shall keep you in the Light, Friend.

[MULHATTON]

A TRUE AMERICAN. A MAN OF CONSCIOUS AND HONOR. A MAN AMONG MEN. A TRUE PATRIOT. I SALUTE YOU, SIR. IF ONLY EVERY OTHER AMERICAN WAS WILLING TO STAND UP AND JUST SAY...HELL WE ARE AS MAD AS HELL AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT

[timelessfriends]

I don’t care who the IRS sends I’m not paying taxes!

[chuckgreen]

We need more people like him to stand up for what's right

[curiouspilot]

In my opinion, sending two agents would be adequate for the task, and five or six agents would be scary enough, but fifteen agents? What were they planning to do, cause a major scene and bully the man, mafia style?

[G-NutZ]

We the people must stop paying federal taxes now!!

[irsmedic]

The founders of this country knew that tax protesting was a fundamental right. The People have this power. No court can destroy unless we allow it.

[Somebodysomewheresometime]

This man is a hero! We all need to follow his advice for the beautiful earth and lives we have been granted.
It’s 2023 and all of our money is going to war, corruption, and pure evil

[pinklipstickx]

What a brave man wish i can do that after getting my first paycheck at my job i wanted to cry cause they took to much momey is like im working for free they have money for war yet want to take money out of hard working people

[mr.barkyvonschnauzer]

15 years for the government to react?
Sounds about right

[i.grevefreespeech]

Never plea.. no injured party, no crime.

[coboltblue]

Not religious but as an anarchist I’d appreciate a support system for this kind of protest 😢

[nameblocked]

dude you've got a wrongfully arrested and imprisoned case I hope you know this