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Defense Of The Federal Mafia

Good Essays

Janine Callender
AP English and Comp
Mrs. Berry
June 1, 2015
In Defense of The Federal Mafia
Irwin Schiff’s The Federal Mafia: How It Illegally Imposes and Unlawful Collects Income Taxes is a how-to manual on how to stop paying income taxes. Schiff wrote this book in 1980 while in prison for failing to file income tax reports. Schiff has been in jail several times for tax evasion and other crimes involving taxes. Schiff’s book was intended to motivate people to fight income taxes. This book was banned after the information in it was declared fraudulent by the federal court. The Federal Mafia has received much criticism because its intention is to teach people how to avoid income taxes, however, this book provides information that …show more content…

American libraries published an article titled “FTRF Files Amicus Opposing U.S. Ban on Anti-Tax Book in which District Judge Lloyd D. George notes that “it is illegal under tax code to engage ‘fraudulent or deceptive conduct that substantially interferes with the proper administration of the internal revenue laws’”. (American Libraries Magazine 1) This made it illegal for Schiff to write a book that contained fraudulent information on tax evasion because it would interfere with the IRS collecting taxes from hundreds of Americans who read Schiff’s book. Declaring that the book contains fraudulent information allows it to be banned appropriately.
The court declared that Schiff’s book was part of a tax evasion scheme and therefore they could prohibit the sale of the book. In a New York Times article titled Court Says Author Can 't Sell His Book on Evading Taxes Judge Procter Hug Jr. wrote that Schiff has “been selling products that help…customers engage in illegal activity,” and “is making fraudulent claims” regarding the legality of income taxes. (Johnston 1) Anyone is allowed to sell Schiff’s book excluding Schiff and his associates. It seems pointless to ban a book that is still allowed to be sold. Schiff’s ideas and thoughts are still being spread.
Schiff argues that income taxes are completely voluntary

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