Same-sex couple in tax protest; Refuse to pay on $2 million

[Der Blaue Engel]

because they can't get married

Calling it an act of civil disobedience, a North Carolina man is refusing to pay federal and state income tax on more than $2 million, claiming discrimination because he can't wed his male partner and receive the deductions granted married couples.

"I think it's unfair because marriage is about love, it's not about two people who are different sexually," Charles Merrill, 71, told WND. "Two men can love each other, and two men can love each other just as a man and a woman."

But he told WND he is prepared to go to prison, modeling his actions after American writer Henry David Thoreau and the Indian reformer Gandhi, who both resisted their governments and willingly paid the consequence of imprisonment.

more...

[benburch]

1. Such a protest might work if the government cared.

This one does not.

[William769]

2. A brave stand, but not a smart one.

[demosincebirth]

4. Like a one-legged man in butt kicking contest

[BOSSHOG]

6. Were the Patriots in Boston not smart when they dumped tea in the harbor

Gays in this country are not protected equally under the law. And that inequality persists because of ignorant, arrogant haters who call themselves "christians." I wish him well in his pursuit and hope that his actions are a precedent.

[William769]

10. Being 71 & facing jail time is not a smart move.

& when you consider the acts of our Government right now, actually it's not a smart move it's a stupid move.

Now maybe if there were thousands it might be a different story.

[BOSSHOG]

11. Hopefully William will be the first

of thousands.

[William769]

14. I have more important things going on in my life right now.

Than trying to get myself locked up. I know when to fight & when to wait for te next round.

[BOSSHOG]

15. My apologies

My intent was to say that "Charles" would be the first of thousands.

[unblock]

3. my guess is that he's refusing to pay ALL his taxes

$2MM is quite a lot to be just the difference between filing jointly and filing separately.

if he were simply claiming the benefits of marriage and paying the rest, that would be civil disobedience.
but if he's not paying anything at all, that's overplaying his hand and just asking for trouble. his message would get lost in the accusation that it's just a pretense for tax avoidance.

[Der Blaue Engel]

7. $2 million is the amount of income on which he's being taxed

"Merrill – an accomplished artist who lives on 100 acres near Hendersonville, N.C., with partner Frank Boyle – said he has received a notice from the IRS of unpaid taxes on $2,341,439 in stock sales in 2004."

So it sounds like he paid his income tax, but left off the stock sales income. It doesn't indicate whether he did this intentionally or not (I have no idea what his regular income is as an "accomplished artist").

At any rate, they'll accuse him of making excuses for tax avoidance no matter what the circumstances, so I hardly think it matters. I'm sure we've all seen rich, white, straight males being treated quite differently on tax evasion issues than say, even rich, white, straight females, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out with a rich, white, gay male.

I say Bravo, Charles Merrill! Dump the tea indeed!

[Der Blaue Engel]

8. Sorry, I meant rich, white, BISEXUAL male

I can't believe I missed that, being bi myself. :D

[unblock]

9. yuck, then he's in an even worse mess

if paid taxes on his income, but not on one particular source of income, that's a very poor way to protest the lack of gay marriage tax benefits.

i like the idea of civil disobedience, where appropriate, and i agree that making gay marriage illegal amounts to (among other things) a tax on gays. but it should be done cleanly. they should refile as a married couple and pay what they would owe were they legally married and put the difference in an escrow account. THAT's how it should be done, if his intentions were pure.

however, i suspect that his intentions are not pure because this is too sloppy a protest.

[Der Blaue Engel]

12. I found some clarification on his website

Charles Merrill, a 71 year old artist and his partner Kevin Boyle, have announced they will not pay Federal or North Carolina Income Tax on over 2 million dollars worth of stock sales and income for 2004, because of unfair discrimination in the Federal and State Income Tax Codes.

Merrill said, "I have no intention of paying Federal and State Income taxes because my same sex partner and I cannot be legally married and receive the same tax benefits as other married couples.

By not paying taxes, this is a deliberate act of civil disobedience towards a President that wants to make an amendment to the Constitution to only allow marriage between a man and woman, rather than two people who love each other, and that discriminate against us as full citizens of the United States."

So I was mistaken, it's all of his taxes for that year.

[BOSSHOG]

5. GO CHARLES!!!!!

I strongly urge all gays to start chucking the tea into every harbor from coast to coast. Equal protection my ass. And who on this planet can define what a marriage is? No one, and especially not a bunch of "conservative" zealots who hate in the name of Jesus Christ. If "christians" want to maintain the sanctity of marriage then they should push for the banning of Divorce. Of course its so much easier to pass laws that effect others constitutional liberties.

Thank you Charles Merrill. I didn't spend 24 years in uniform so fellow citizens like you could be shit on by those who believe you must be hated.

[mitchtv]

13. I feel that I should pay less taxes than strates

for having a lower citizen status.