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BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT. SOMEONE TELL WESLEY SNIPES.

January 25, 2008

If you were indicted on federal tax charges that could put you in prison for years, would you:

a). Pour yourself a stiff drink.
b). Flee the country
c). Call a good lawyer and devote your time to preparing your defense
d). Write a 600-page letter to the IRS telling them not to mess with you.

Wesley Snipes chose option "d," according to testimony in his tax evasion trial as reported at Ocala.com:

After being indicted in 2006, actor Wesley Snipes sent a document to the Internal Revenue Service declaring he was a "nonresident alien" of the United States, refuting his Social Security number and warning that continued prosecution could lead to professional consequences for federal employees.

Among other things, the letter claimed the IRS deceives people to "terrorize, enslave, rape or pillage" taxpayers.

Don't be silly. Terrorize and pillage, sure. Enslave and rape? I haven't seen that out of the IRS.

Snipes declared he had no taxable U.S. income, making the IRS Form 1040 "absolutely the wrong form for me to file." He also claimed taxes withheld were "stolen funds."

Maybe he expected the IRS to write back and say "Your 600-page letter was quite compelling. We have reconsidered, and we have decided to end the raping and pillaging. Never mind the indictment thing."

The Snipes legal team says it was just another way for Mr. Snipes to reach out and touch the IRS:

The document was born of Snipes' frustration in trying to deal with tax issues for years, and as a reaction to being indicted, [Snipes attorney Robert] Barnes said, adding that Snipes sent a copy of the document to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Part of his emotions are frustration, exhaustion," Barnes said. "The response was a 600-page letter. His whole point in the letter is 'I've been trying to reach out to you guys for two years.'"

Well, the reaching out wasn't in vain. He certainly got their attention.

Tags: tax crime.tax protesters.Wesley Snipes.

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