April 15, 2008


Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service Center
Andover, MA 05501-0102


To Whom It May Concern:

 
            Please find enclosed my 2007 Individual Income Tax Return.  I am writing to inform you of my decision to decline the required payment of $3,102.  While I do not deny that the sum of $3,102 is my required payment for tax year 2007, it would be in direct violation of my Constitutionally protected Civil Liberties if I were to comply and remit payment.
 

            As you are well aware, the current Federal Budget for the 2008 fiscal year and the projected Federal Budget for the 2009 fiscal year will spend an overwhelming 54%, or 1,449 billion dollars, of National Revenue on direct and indirect military spending.  Of these 1,449 Billion dollars, over 200 billion will be directed to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As my chosen religion requires non-violence and compassion, it would constitute a Direct Burden to my constitutionally protected Civil Liberties if I were to remit my required payment of $3,102 as nearly $1,605 of my payment would be used to fund war and violence both domestically and abroad.
 

            I have chosen to decline my required payment of $3,102 and will instead divert these funds to organizations that work for domestic causes and human rights issues.  I do not deny that I am obligated to pay my portion of the National Revenue and if there were an alternative available to me, such as The Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill H.R. 1921, I would gladly and proudly participate.  However my chosen religion and my conscience will not allow it.
 

Thankfully, my decision to decline payment until such time that an alternative is found is protected by both The United States Constitution and the New Hampshire Sate Constitution.  Collection of tax revenue for purposes that violate my chosen religion constitutes a Direct Burden on my religious freedom as protected under The First Amendment to The United States Constitution.  Allowing the use of my collected income for direct funding of violent military ambitions would be a violation of my Rights of Conscience as protected by Article 4 of the New Hampshire State Constitution, a right that is further protected by The Ninth Amendment to The United States Constitution.
 

As a patriotic citizen of The United States Constitution I see no alternative to the crisis of conscience other than to decline payment of my portion of the Federal Income Tax until such time as a viable alternative is offered that does not require my direct contribution to violent military spending.

  
Sincerely,
 

Joshua Endsley Klein