Answer The Call for Peace:
Telephone Tax Resistance

The Federal Excise Tax on telephone service has been asso-ciated with military spending throughout most of its history. The first telephone tax was imposed by the War Tax Revenue Act of 1914. World War II brought a 25% tax on long distance calls and a 15% tax on local service. The telephone tax was retained during the Korean War and then reduced to 10% on all telephone service in 1954. In 1965, Congress approved a reduction of the tele-phone tax to 3% with elimination planned for 1969. However, in 1966, Congress passed a special bill, which included a resumption of the 10% phone tax to provide money for the Vietnam War. With an ever-increasing military budget, Congress has not allowed this tax to expire as had been planned several times. On January 1, 1983, the telephone tax was increased from 1% to 3%, where it now stands. Currently, the telephone tax generates about 3 billion dollars a year in revenue.

To refuse the federal excise tax on your telephone service, simply deduct the amount of the federal tax from your total bill each month. If you are served by more than one telephone company, make sure to deduct the tax from each bill each month. Include a note each month with the message below.

What will the telephone company do? They will notify the IRS of your nonpayment of the federal tax and credit that amount to your bill. This may happen monthly or quarterly. Occasionally, a telephone company has misunderstood the action of telephone tax refusal and threatened to discontinue service based on unpaid phone tax. FCC regulations make it clear that this cannot be done legally. The telephone company cannot legally disconnect your service for nonpayment of the federal tax. (Sec. 1.717 FCC Rules)

What will the IRS do? You may receive a notice of taxes due from the IRS and they may attempt to collect the tax. This seems to be happening less and less frequently. In the event of a billing or a collection attempt, you have an opportunity for making an additional witness against military taxation. The cost of collecting small amounts of telephone tax usually exceeds the amount collected.

Sister Helen Prejean To Speak In Albuquerque

Named after the repentant thief executed next to Jesus on Calvary, Dismas House is an increasingly well-known Albuquerque charity that reintegrates ex-criminal offenders into the community through a family-oriented approach of housing and education. Since opening their doors in the North Valley during the summer of 1994, less than 6% of their male and female parolee residents have ended up back in New Mexico’s prisons by committing a new offense. The Dismas model stresses community involvement and can point to the support of the neighborhood where it operates, to local busi-nesses (such as La Montanita Co-op) who are willing to hire their residents, and to the local church and civic groups who take an active part in the day to-day operation of the program (primarily through the Volunteer Cook Program, where volunteers provide and share in the 10-person facility’s evening meal).

As a private charity, Dismas House relies heavily upon indivi-dual donations and special events to generate the revenue needed to implement their vital mission of reconciliation between the former inmate and society. Con-sequently, the Dismas House organization is extremely excited about their upcoming May 5th Sister Helen Prejean Dinner Benefit to be held at the Albuquerque Hyatt Regency (Silent Auction at 6:00 pm followed by dinner at 7:00 pm). Tickets are $50 ($30 tax deductible) and all proceeds go to this innovative charity. They can be purchased by calling 266-6129.

Of course, the timing of Sister Helen Prejean’s visit to New Mexico is quite appropriate, as anti-death penalty advocates and pro-execution forces square off about the fate of Terry Clark. There has not been an execution in New Mexico since 1964; Mr. Clark’s execution date has recently been delayed from the May 15th date set at his February hearing.

Regardless of what a person’s opinions are on the death penalty, the famed author of Dead Man Walking is an evocative and eloquent speaker, and will no doubt address these issues at the May 5th Hyatt Benefit. As was the case with the movie starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, the issue of capital punishment has deep spiritual undercurrents that render neutrality nearly impossible; what Sister Helen is able to do so effectively in her writings and speeches is to bring the inhumanity of this criminal justice mechanism into focus. Sister Helen is able to frame this debate with intelligence, depth and compassion; though many would disagree with where she ultimately comes down on the issue, few regret listening to her wisdom on the subject.