California Gov. Gavin Newsom is floating a federal tax boycott. Here's what to know.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested withholding the state's taxes amid reports the Trump administration may cut funding for the state's universities.

As tensions escalate between California and the Trump administration over immigration, another potential battlefront is emerging over taxes.

The spat began with reports that the Trump administration is considering cutting funding for California’s university system, the largest higher education system in the nation with about 12% of all U.S. enrolled students.

In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote Friday afternoon in a social media post that California provides about $80 billion more in taxes to the federal government than it receives in return.

“Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump,” Newsom said.

  • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    101·
    7 days ago

    I hope people reading this aren’t taking this advice seriously… The IRS will fuck you up. They have less funding, but that only means that they only go after low hanging fruit (AKA people who can’t afford a team of lawyers to fight). They’ll garnish your fucking wages.

    Kinda crazy that the comment is so highly upvoted… I get the sentiment, but you’re giving people really bad advice here.

    • 10001110101@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      6 days ago

      Idk, the author of “Civil Disobedience” did it. It’s a valid resistance method, or just a way to keep yourself morally consistent. Every kind of resistance has a good chance of bringing harm to yourself.

      I personally didn’t file one year; kinda just kept putting it off because I knew I wouldn’t be able to pay my taxes (was a 1099 worker, and suffered some major financial blows that year); nothing ever happened, but it definitely was a risk. I probably won’t do that as an “act of resistance” next year, but will probably try extending as long as possible.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        2·
        6 days ago

        I mean yeah, you can do it… But you’re going to accomplish literally nothing and there’s a good chance that it will cause you much distress.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        1·
        7 days ago

        OK, go ahead and change your withholding to $0 and see what happens. Publicly announcing your intentions to stop paying federal taxes will definitely help as well.

        • explodicle@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          4·
          7 days ago

          I do zero withholding every year because I get a higher return by investing it. And I’ve been openly posting about tax resistance for years. It’d be a lot more realistic if my whole state was on board!

          • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            3·
            6 days ago

            I meant “do zero withholding, and then don’t file taxes” as that was the implication.

            I know what tax resistance is, I’m just talking about the (very real) consequences that people better be ready for if they take that advice.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        3·
        7 days ago

        You think the IRS doesn’t exist anymore? You think that the federal government is just going to stop collecting taxes?

        Lol.

        • Smoogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          5 days ago

          Stop whining. She left you for Elon. And it’s entirely justified with how much of an asshole you are. Just think how big of a loser you are to make him the winner.