War Ends, Tax Doesn't

If you are paying your total telephone bill each month, you are still paying for the war in Vietnam. Added to the standard phone charges is a federal excise tax instituted for the sole purpose of financing military operations in Indochina.

A telephone tax was originally passed by Congress in 1941 to pay for World War II. Meant to be temporary, the tax was due to be discontinued in 1966.

Instead, the 3% tax was hiked to 10% in 1966 with the promise of a declining yearly rate expiring in 1972. Before that bill was passed, then chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Wilbur Mills stated, "It is clear that Vietnam and only the Vietnam operation makes this bill necessary."

On January 2, 1971, Congress again extended the telephone excise tax at 10% for 1971-72, with yearly declining rates running until 1982.

For years, hundreds of people across the country have refused to pay this tax as a protest to the war. As they stopped paying, they included a note with the phone bill stating their intentions.

According to Democratic County Commissioner Cathie McClary, since the phone company is merely a collecting agency for the federal government, it will not disconnect your phone or otherwise hinder your service. A threatening note from the Internal Revenue Service demanding payment and threatening to impound your bank account is common, but they rarely carry through. Usually it is more hassle than it's worth for them to interfere with a bank account or paycheck, since a court order is required to do so.

If you resent paying for a war you were opposed to and want more information about refusing to pay your phone tax, contact Ann Arbor War Tax Counselling at P.O. Box 559, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107