stija wrote:So if there is no court ruling about something it does not exist?
Pete can play that game too. Where is the court ruling that clearly says that Americans are required to file 1040 returns? Since there is none......
Yes, Pete can play "that game." And Pete has spent time in jail. I have not. So maybe the game Pete has played is (a) not the same game that I play and (b) not the kind of game that you should want to play.
Anyway, you're wrong (surprise, surprise) about the "no court ruling" business:
“As the cited cases, as well as many others, have made abundantly clear, the following arguments alluded to by the Lonsdales are completely lacking in legal merit and patently frivolous: ... (9) individuals are not required to file tax returns fully reporting their income....” Lonsdale v. United States, 919 F.2d 1440, 1448 (10th Cir. 1990).
“The statutes themselves require the payment of the tax and the filing of a return. 26 U.S.C. § 6012. ... [The] duty to pay those taxes is manifest on the face of the statutes, without any resort to IRS rules, forms or regulations.” United States v. Bowers, 920 F.2d 220, 222 (4th Cir. 1990).
“Upon review of May’s amended petition, we find no allegations of fact which could give rise to a valid claim; rather, the complaint merely contains conclusory assertions attacking the constitutionality of the Internal Revenue Code and its application to the taxpayer.[Footnote omitted.] Tax protest cases like this one raise no genuine controversy; the underlying legal issues have long been settled. See, e.g., Abrams, 82 T.C. at 406-07 (citing cases rejecting similar arguments). Because May’s petition raised no justiciable claims, the Tax Court properly dismissed the petition for failure to state a claim.” May v. C.I.R., 752 F.2d 1301, 1302 (8th Cir. 1985), (among other things, May’s amended complaint alleged that “The Respondent has added penalties for Petitioner not filing a return (1040) when in fact there is NO SECTION of the Internal Revenue Code that ‘REQUIRES’ anyone to file.” 752 F.2d at 1304, note 3).
“The assertion that the filing of an income tax return is voluntary is, likewise, frivolous. Title 26, United States Code, Section 6012(a)(1)(A), ‘requires that every individual who earns a threshold level of income must file a tax return.’ [citation omitted] Failure to file an income tax return subjects an individual to criminal penalty.” United States v. Hartman, 915 F.Supp. 1227 (M.D.Fla. 1996).
"[T]he court finds that the requirement, or legal duty, to file income tax returns is found in the federal statutes, not the regulations, specifically 26 U.S.C. § 6012(a)(1)(A). This provision requires that every individual who earns a threshold level of income must file a tax return. Further, violations of the failure to file income tax returns is subject to criminal penalty under 26 U.S.C. § 7203." United States v. Pottorf, 769 F.Supp. 1176, 1183 (D.Kan. 1991).
And if you're interested in statutory law: Section 6012(a) of the Internal Revenue Code plainly states that “Returns with respect to income taxes under Subtitle A shall be made by the following: (1)(A) Every individual having for the taxable year gross income which equals or exceeds the exemption amount....”
Treas. Reg. § 1.6012-1(a)(6) provides that “Form 1040 is prescribed for general use in making the return required under this paragraph.”