Are any of you aware of a "war tax" on your phone bills?

[CatWoman]

Many Refuse to Pay 'War Tax' on Phone Bill
By M.L. Lyke
The Seattle Post Intelligencer

Saturday 10 December 2005

Providers go along; IRS frowns, but does little.

For Seattle peace activist Bert Sacks, the monthly act of resistance adds up to only 59 cents. Symbolically, however, refusing to pay the "war tax" on his Qwest phone bill represents a pocketbook protest against what he sees as misuse of US military power.

"I object to the US government policy of using famine and epidemic as tools against civilian populations. That's wrong," says the retired engineer, who has fought for a decade to get economic sanctions against Iraq lifted.

Sacks is one of thousands of Americans believed to be refusing to pay the federal taxes attached to their monthly phone bills - money that helps fund military operations overseas.

Many are taking the step as a protest against the war in Iraq. And in many cases, the phone companies are helping them do it.

"We oppose the policies of 'pre-emptive war' and an 'endless' war on terrorism, which led to the Iraq war, which violate human rights and international law, and which have cost us hundreds of billions of dollars while our states and cities face unprecedented deficits, and cutbacks of vital services and programs," reads the statement on a Web site called hanguponwar.org.

Although many activists have been withholding the phone tax since the Vietnam War, the act of disobedience is making headlines again as more Americans began to question the rationale for the Iraq war. A New York Times/CBS News Poll released this week shows that 52 percent of Americans believe that the Bush administration intentionally misled the public when its officials made the case for war.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/121005E.shtml

[mark0rama]

1. The more things change...

From the Chicago Reader's "Straight Dope" column, way back in 1973:

Dear Cecil:

I've heard that if you don't mind being put on the subversives list, you're free not to pay the federal tax on the phone bill on the grounds that you're opposed to military spending, etc.--and that the phone company won't cut off your service. Is this true? --Matt B., Baltimore

Dear Matt:

I hesitate to predict what giant bureaucracies will do in every instance, but in general the answer is yes, the phone company won't cut off your service if you don't pay your federal tax. On the other hand, it will tell Uncle Sam all about you and your lonely struggle against the war machine. What happens next varies. Some folks claim they've never heard a word from the government. Others have had the unpaid taxes deducted from their income tax refunds. Why don't you try it and let me know?

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_335a.html

[CatWoman]

4. thanks, Mark

The more they stay the same. Indeed.

[babylonsister]

2. I checked my new bill and couldn't see the tax. I have SBC.

I wonder if it's called something else?

[CatWoman]

3. from what I can gather, it's the "federal tax"

see the link in the first response.

[babylonsister]

10. I need to see proof that that's what it's for. There are so many

taxes on the phone bill, it's mind-boggling, and there always has been, even before this 'war'. If that is defined as a war tax, I also will stop paying it.

[napi21]

14. See my post #13. Here's the link explaining what the tax is for.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/123.html

[NMDemDist2]

5. yup I knew n/t

[Dagaz]

6. from the Spanish American War?

Dateline: 05/26/00

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 420 - 2 yesterday to repeal a 102-year old federal excise tax on telephone and other communication services.

The phone tax, originally applied in 1898 to help pay for America's participation in the Spanish American War, has been repealed twice before but was reapplied in different forms to help pay for World Wars I and II and Vietnam. The tax was made permanent in 1990.

The bill passed today, H.R. 3916, would drop the 3 percent tax to 2 percent 30 days after the law is signed by the President. The tax would then fall to 1 percent on Oct. 1, 2001 and go away completely on Oct. 1, 2002. Legislative analysts estimate an average family will realize an annual savings of about $45 once the excise tax is completely removed.

The Clinton Administration has expressed misgivings about repealing the phone tax, but the action has overwhelming support in Congress.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/news/aa052600a.htm

[Texasgal]

7. Hey Catwoman!

Thank you for posting that! I am going to look at my phone bill now!~

[CatWoman]

8. Yee Haw

:hi:

:D

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. I have Verizon, and thankfully don't have it

I was ready to give them a call and go apeshits if I found it. Actually, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed it wasn't there. I was all geared up to fight it out and give them hell!

[Pastiche423]

12. On my Verizon bill

I have two Federal taxes/surcharges:

Federal excise tax @ 3% - $.69

And

Federal Universal Service Fee - $.67

Anyone know which I don't have to pay?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

15. Neither is a War Tax, So I would think you have to pay both. n/t

[RoyGBiv]

11. I'm curious how they do this ...

Companies with which I am familiar bill you with the taxes included, and there is no differentiation in the billing system that allows whatever payment you make to go to "taxes" or "company charges." It all comes together, and payments are applied to the total bill. You could get away with this for about 4 months, but after that, you'd have a past-due bill in excess of the amount the company sets as a cut off for suspension.

Anyone know?

[napi21]

13. I just checked my phone bill. The tax is labeled Fed Excise tax.

I wasn't sure that was the one the people in Wa. were refusing to pay so I did some checking. I found a link that explains that it really IS a war tax!

http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/123.html

The charge on my bill is .75 per month. I would have no problem if their only retaliation was to deduct 9.00 from my tax refund. It would be worth it to make a statement!

What I DON'T want to chance is that my name would be put on some damn watch list that would give me nightmares at the airport! Since nobody seems to be able to say how names get on those lists, it concerns me a bit!

[Igel]

16. It's a bit of silliness, isn't it?

I mean, there's this 'war tax' that continues regardless of whether or not there's a war or any conflict whatsoever, that's called simply an "excise tax" in the tax coade, with the money going into the undifferentiated general coffer.

It strikes me that the jargon applied here to the tax has long since outlived any accuracy it originally had. It's as much a war tax as the excise tax on tequila is.

[AZBlue]

17. Exactly. And this article proves nothing

except that in 1898 and 1966 it was definitely a war tax.

Show me something that says it's a war tax in 2005.