Man pays Tax Bill with $1 bills


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Nobody likes to pay taxes.

Robert Fernandes, of Forks Township, Pennsylvania, wants people to know exactly how much he doesn't like paying his taxes. Last week, the father of three took his wife and children - and $7,143.54 in cash - to the tax collector. He paid the township tax bill in single dollar bills. And, just to make sure that he made his point, he posted the whole thing on YouTube.

 



Fernandes made his public statement to protest money that he claims is being "stolen" since he does not wish to "voluntarily" pay for services that he doesn't believe he benefits his family. Specifically, Fernandes' young children (ages 1, 4 and 7) are not enrolled in a brick and mortar school in the school district: Fernandes' wife is currently homeschooling the children. He said about the tax, "We don't even use the public system, yet I am being forced to pay all this money into a public school system. I don't think that's really either fair or just or even ethical. It would be the equivalent if McDonald's were to force vegetarians to pay for their cheeseburgers."

 

Fernandes figures that if folks understood how much they were actually paying in taxes, they would protest, too. He believes that most taxpayers don't know how much tax they're actually paying since homeowners with mortgages tend to escrow their real estate and school taxes and pay monthly; that sounds terribly patronizing. I would venture to say that most homeowners know more about the totals of their real estate and school taxes than they do about other hidden (or nearly hidden) taxes like sales taxes and excise taxes on utilities, gas and alcohol.

 

So what does Fernandes hope to accomplish with his statement? "I'm hoping people see this video and do the same thing: stop paying in their escrow and mortgage and start paying taxes the way I did."

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The retard agreed to the taxes when he bought his home. If he don't like it, MOVE!

I know it sounds cold and harsh but he's making a deal over nothing. If he chooses not to use the publicly offered services he agreed to pay taxes to support, thats his option. Forcing vegitarians to buy cheeseburgers? No! It'd be like forcing investors in McDonalds to NOT be vegetarians!! If you are, invest in another company! Other people shouldn't have to pick up his slack or lose services because hes teaching his kids not to be a team player, is outraged at how much the services cost, etc.

 

Property taxes where I am from is based on your homes value and broken down in a bi-annunal report showing EXACTLY where your collected tax dollars are going in percentages (police, fire, buses, schools, road maintenance, etc)

Even though I don't regularly use buses, public school system, police or fire hydrants/stations I think they are a worth-while cause to contribute to. Someone please correct me if PA don't work like this.

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The retard agreed to the taxes when he bought his home. If he don't like it, MOVE!

I know it sounds cold and harsh but he's making a deal over nothing. If he chooses not to use the publicly offered services he agreed to pay taxes to support, thats his option. Forcing vegitarians to buy cheeseburgers? No! It'd be like forcing investors in McDonalds to NOT be vegetarians!! If you are, invest in another company! Other people shouldn't have to pick up his slack or lose services because hes teaching his kids not to be a team player, is outraged at how much the services cost, etc.

 

You do realize you pay those taxes (or similar taxes) no matter where you live right? Even if you're renting the landlord is still paying those taxes and they're getting passed on to you.

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You do realize you pay those taxes (or similar taxes) no matter where you live right? Even if you're renting the landlord is still paying those taxes and they're getting passed on to you.

Yes, but your billed on the services in your community & house value. If he moves to a community without any services he won't pay nearly as much in taxes, same as if he bought a cheaper home in the same community. A move to some spot in rural Alaska maybe will kill his ignorance.. then he'll see what his taxes are actually doing...

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Those could have been refused. Only paper currency is required to be accepted for debt payments. :)

Which I don't really understand in itself - how type A money can be refused but type B is OK... Canadians have a limit, you can pay up to 30 or 50 dollar debts with coins and above that don't have to be accepted provided they accept other payments than cash. If they ONLY accept cash you can definitely pay in pennies. (nickels now, pennies disappearred July 1st)

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Which I don't really understand in itself - how type A money can be refused but type B is OK.

If there weren't restrictions then people could cause massive delays by paying everything in small denominations. The amount of staff hours required to count a payment like this is clearly unreasonable and while this guy might get away with it once I'm sure procedures will be put in place to prevent it happening again.

 

As for not wanting to pay taxes, how does he expect the country to run? Every day he makes use of the services provided by the government and while he may not use a particular service it is still essential to pay into it in order for it to function. Do you think this clown would be happy if the army had to be disbanded because nobody paid their taxes? Do you think he'd be happy when public schools can no longer be funded and people instead turn to crime? Do you think he'd be happy when he has to pay dramatically more money to pay for private police and fire services?

 

He clearly has no comprehension of how taxes work or else he wouldn't be making such a ridiculous protest.

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That $7,143.54 was just the school taxes part of his tax bill he paid. How much do you pay in school taxes only, now don't count the other items listed in your tax bill? How many here on Neowin pay anything near that amount?

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That $7,143.54 was just the school taxes part of his tax bill he paid. How much do you pay in school taxes only, now don't count the other items listed in your tax bill? How many here on Neowin pay anything near that amount?

He chose to live in a town with a township tax, which is typically based on the value of the property. If he has a high-valued property and is privately educating his children then it's fair to assume he can afford to pay it, he just doesn't want to. He is still required to go through the local school board, so the idea that he shouldn't have to pay for it doesn't pass muster. I could have sympathy for the guy if he was calling for tax reform but he simply wants to stop paying the tax altogether.

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One thing, if you don't have kids, you should not have pay school taxes.

 

That's silly because even childless adults went to school themselves and paying for other people's children to be educated ensures that you will be looked after in your old age.  Besides, where does it end?  I don't drive.  Should I be asked to contribute taxes towards road maintenance?

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 "We don't even use the public system, yet I am being forced to pay all this money into a public school system. I don't think that's really either fair or just or even ethical. It would be the equivalent if McDonald's were to force vegetarians to pay for their cheeseburgers."

 

Having this level of misunderstanding of what the tax system is supposed to be for.

 

Next week his video will be on how private schools are too expensive and his wife is being deprived of income because she's homeschooling the kids.

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He must be too lazy to bring pennies ! :p

 

Do you realize how much 7,154,054 pennies would weigh?? I just feel sorry for the poor sap who had to count it, even though those are fresh from the bank in $100 stacks.

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Do you realize how much 7,154,054 pennies would weigh?? I just feel sorry for the poor sap who had to count it, even though those are fresh from the bank in $100 stacks.

I do know -- my comment was joking, as the :p should tell you. ;)

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^ And when they went to school, their parents or guardian were paying school taxes. ;)

 

They still benefit from the school system even though their children aren't going. Their taxes are going towards educating the future workforce that will provide them with goods and services. Doctors, unfortunately lawyers, engineers, scientists, etc.

 

Before you retort that they will be paying for those goods and services at point of sale, that's all well and good but the point of sale price only goes to fund that transaction and not how they were able to be educated to be able to provide that transaction.

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They still benefit from the school system even though their children aren't going. Their taxes are going towards educating the future workforce that will provide them with goods and services. Doctors, unfortunately lawyers, engineers, scientists, etc.

More likely, fast-food workers. ;)

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