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From: geopi@hogpc.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.taxes
Subject: Are wages (really legally taxable) income, or not?
Message-ID: <281@hogpc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-Nov-83 19:40:53 EST
Article-I.D.: hogpc.281
Posted: Fri Nov 11 19:40:53 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 13-Nov-83 08:07:20 EST
Lines: 22

Yes, I had once read some tax opinion by a man named Schiff, from Connecticut,
I think, who wrote a book about the alleged illegality of this whole taxation
system we are bound to.  Bound unfairly, some think.

Anyhow, he made strong claims that wages in fact were an equal exchange
of the employee's labor (in whatever capacity), for dollars
(whatever they are), or Federal Reserve Notes (unbacked by gold these days),
or greenbacks, or something in which the employee presumably has
some confidence (cough, cough).

The main point is that the wage situation is an exchange,
and, properly speaking, cannot be considered "income,"
in the sense that it was defined in 1913 when the income tax law was written.
Income was meant to reflect capital gains.  It was also promised
at the time of the writing of the law, that only the rich would pay,
and the income tax rate would never amount to more than 1% or 2%.
And other such lies. 

I do not know how these arguments stand up legally, but I do seem to 
remember that Mr. Schiff, after a number of years as a very vocal tax rebeller,
was brought to justice, if I may use the phrase loosely,
and squeezed like the rest of us by the infernal revenue service.