Does the government have the right to make you pay federal income tax?

Yes, and they always have had to power to lay and collect an income tax.

All tax protestor arguments are thoroughly debunked at

http://www.quatloos.com
http://evans-legal.com/dan/tpfaq.html

BTW, anytime somebody references a Supreme Court opinion, don't just take their word for it. Look it up for yourself. Make sure you read entire sentences and don't take things out of context. That is a favorite tax protestor ploy. They'll take a quote from a court opinion completely out of context so that they can twist it to appear it supports their opinion.

PS. I'm beginning to agree with Judy about not responding. We should just let them reinforce each other's beliefs. When they stop paying their taxes, five or six years later, they can join Irwin Schiff behind bars. For those that don't know, Irwin Schiff is a tax protestor, probably the dumbest one of all. He's been convicted, not once, not twice, but THREE times. If I am not mistaken, he is currently serving a 24 year sentence. The truly sad part is, when he gets out, he'll still have to pay his back taxes! :)

No one can "make" you do anything but there are consequences if you do not follow the law.

Yes, Virginia, there is an Income Tax.

Here is the law:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode26/usc_sup_01_26.html

Despite what some people are selling, you will go to jail if you don't pay your taxes.

Do we have to have this same silly question every day?

Yes, they do have that right. If you don't pay, you can have your assets seized and in extreme cases, end up in prison. If you don't like the US laws, then leave and go somewhere else. And don't be real surprised if that someplace else has taxes also.

We'd probably be better off if all responders would just start ignoring this question when it's asked. Isn't being asked in good faith most of the time, just trying to agitate. That's what tax protestors do. And is part of why some of them end up in jail.

When you ask "does the government have the right . . ." there are effectively two questions: (1) does the law require you to pay, and (2) is the law valid, which means to me, "Has the law been upheld by the courts?"

Short answer: The law requires you to file a return, and requires you to pay if you have sufficient taxable income, and it has been upheld by the courts. More explanation follows:

If someone has been telling you that you don't really have to file or to pay taxes, even with substantial income, take a look at the recent IRS discussion of "frivolous" arguments and how the courts have rejected them, at:
http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=136751,00.html
It gives you a link to an extensive document, called "The Truth About Frivolous Arguments", that goes through all the legal reasoning, and tells you how various promoters of "you don't have to pay taxes" schemes have been treated by the courts.

Note that the Internal Revenue Code (which is Title 26 of the U.S. Code) doesn't say that all citizens have to PAY income taxes, it defines who is subject to the law, and requires all citizens to file a return and pay tax IF they have enough income and meet other filing requirements. For example, a single adult who earns only $5,000 this year is not normally required to file a return at all or pay any tax.

The Internal Revenue Code includes in its provisions definitions of who (and what) are subject to the law. In addressing various "frivolous" arguments to claim that one is not obligated to file tax returns or pay tax, the IRS notes:
'The Internal Revenue Code clearly defines вЂњpersonвЂќ and sets forth which persons are subject to federal taxes. Section 7701(a)(14) defines вЂњtaxpayerвЂќ as any person subject to any internal revenue tax and section 7701(a)(1) defines вЂњpersonвЂќ to include an individual, trust, estate, partnership, or corporation. The requirement to file an income tax return is not voluntary and is clearly set forth in sections 6011(a), 6012(a), et seq., and 6072(a). See also Treas. Reg. В§ 1.6011-1(a). Any taxpayer who has received more than a statutorily determined amount of gross income is obligated to file a return.'

No government supports itself through voluntary contributions, does it?

Ditto what all the others are saying. If you disagree, see how much it will cost you to try any other way of life -- before you lose and then pay up anyway -- and possibly pay an interest rate including jail time for evasion.

You could always try to make a quick killing here and then make a run for the border with the cash. Do your homework well before you run -- we have tax treaties with most of the places worth running to.

I really do recommend looking around outside this country. If you do it with open eyes and an open mind, you won't mind paying your taxes here.

YES, Its a law. You can't pick an chose which laws to accept and follow. You must accept all laws weither you like it or not.

Despite what some Tax Kooks would have you believe, yes it does.

The Constitution grants the right to lay taxes to the government. The 16th Amendment clarifies the treatment of income taxes and treats them as non-apportioned indirect taxes.

Subsequent to the ratification of the 16th Amendment, Congress passed laws that levied Income Taxes. That body of law is now know as Title 26 of the US Code.

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