{"id":2652,"date":"2021-03-04T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T09:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersrebel.com\/?p=2652"},"modified":"2021-03-03T21:44:14","modified_gmt":"2021-03-03T21:44:14","slug":"tax-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersrebel.com\/tax-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Tax Strike!<\/span>Jane Rogers<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"

I joined XR back in January 2019 and since then I\u2019ve taken part in numerous XR actions, locally and nationally, and been arrested.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But during the pandemic, an increasing sense of futility has kicked in. What difference do these actions really make? On a bad day, they can seem, as Roger Scranton has put it, \u2018<\/span>little more than an orgy of democratic emotion, an activist-themed street fair, a real-world analogue to Twitter hashtag campaigns: something that gives you a nice feeling, says you belong to a certain group, and is completely divorced from actual legislation and governance.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

So what can I do, non-violently, to make an impact on governance?<\/span><\/p>\n

I can withhold my income tax. That\u2019s to say, I can refuse to pay the estimated 3 percent of tax which goes to funding fossil fuels; the percentage which contributes directly to the UK\u2019s carbon emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

If citizens don\u2019t give politicians the money to pay for HS2, they can\u2019t commission it. Ditto road expansion. Ditto aviation bailouts. Why should I pay for a new coal mine in Cumbria, and the destruction of an ancient woodland? Why would I allow my money to be spent in ways which will ruin the lives of my grandchildren, and ultimately cause millions of deaths?<\/span><\/p>\n

3% of my tax may be peanuts to the Chancellor, but in withholding it I am taking a non-violent direct action which challenges a government whose duty is to protect, not endanger, its citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Money, even in tiny amounts, talks. If money \u2013 money from a growing number of tax rebels – refuses to go where the government is trying to put it, then together we can make a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019m appealing to other self-employed writers to join me in this tax resistance. It\u2019s simple for us to withhold tax; much simpler than for those on PAYE. The Earth Tax Strike group has written a template letter for HMRC which explains our decision, backed up with links to compelling scientific evidence of the climate emergency. We also provide the costings which have led us to conclude that a minimum of 3% of our income tax is spent on planet-destroying projects. The letter makes it clear we\u2019re not tax-dodgers, unlike those Honourable Members who stash their income in off-shore tax havens. We\u2019ll pay our due tax into a holding account, and release it in full when our demands are met. These are:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. <\/i> Act Now <\/i><\/b>to stop financing and enabling destruction:<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n