>> Some Chicagoans are choosing a new way to protest the Trump administration instead of taking to the streets.

Some people are letting their wallets to the talking by refusing to pay federal taxes.

The action is called tax resistance and has grown in popularity following the country's handling of the war in Gaza and the conflict in Iran.

But of course, it's not without its risks.

Here to break it all down for us Jacoby fund manager with the New England War Tax resistance.

And gentlemen talking associated director of the tax program for Fester of Instruction in law of Northwestern's law school.

Thank you both for joining us.

I did.

I was not knowledgeable about this type of I have to tell you so can break it down for us and tell us a bit about what is tax resistance and how do people practicing?

>> Yes, war tax resistance are.

We're a group of people that we don't disagree with taxing, OK?

We actually want to pay our taxes, but we want them to go back into the communities that we live in.

We want to see these this money benefit our neighbors and we're against war.

So 53%, the war tax, the war Resisters puts out a pie chart every year of the federal budget.

And 53% of it goes to military spending.

So more tax researchers say this isn't right.

We don't want this all this money going toward.

There's many different ways to do it.

Some people live below the taxable income.

They live simply in order to not pay taxes at to creating a plan.

Yeah, yup, absolutely.

Some people they what they'll do is they'll file their taxes and they'll pay a portion of it.

Sometimes they'll pay.

You know, 47% Bogo with the the pie chart for that year and go with that amount.

Other people will file and they won't pay anything at all.

they often include a letter to the IRS.

If you don't pay the full amount to the IRS in any way in any any deduction from from what you owe.

It's handled by a not a machine.

And so it's a way to get noticed.

And to just speak your mind.

Yeah, I want to bring Jenna being I want to bring you and if you don't pay your taxes, we know you can get a lot of big trouble.

>> including going writers and what's at stake here legally.

Yes, so I think you know, we just heard that there's a number of different forms of tax resistance.

>> And things like reducing your incomes of you pay the federal government less taxes is perfectly legal.

There's no requirement that you earn a certain amount of money, but but there are rules about once you do earn a certain level of income, you have to pay income taxes.

And if you don't do that, there are both civil penalties and the potential for criminal criminal proceedings.

If you're found to be guilty of local tax evasion.

so things like paying a portion of your taxes might reduce the penalties.

But you're still not kind off the hook.

So there's a number of different things I've heard about.

We you things like penalties for failure to file your tax return, but you can file a tax return and still not pay your taxes and then avoiding the failure to file penalties but still potentially subject to the failure to pay penalties.

And of course, the IRS will also come after you potentially for interest on unpaid taxes and Tony Abbott.

But of course, you can understand why people would want to be part of this saw movement.

He would say.

>> Well, yes, I mean, it's there's a long history of of certain tax resistance as a form of civil disobedience protest in in the United States.

You know, this was actually it goes way back really to even before the founding of the United States right to the colonial era.

There were talk those tax resistance to the British government.

There abolitionists who use tax resistance to protest slavery.

Famously, I think, you know, the author Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes for some years and a protest against slavery and also the Mexican-American War back in the 1800.

So this is something that is not unusual.

And and taxes are such a key part of citizenship, if you will, right.

The wall of the government taxes are important to raising revenue.

And so it is a powerful form of protest.

But again, and there are serious wreck something because not paying taxes is a legal.

And then I want to bring you and we just mentioned about the history of this.

Now you work for the New England War tax resistance was started.

>> The organization started in 1968. following the Vietnam War.

Tell us a bit about the organization's history and why you think it's still relevant to this day.

>> Yeah.

I work for a board of directors that is concerned.

Consists of people that have been more Texas sisters from between.

25 and 40 These people are active in their communities trying to make change and support local or organizations, the organizations that they would like their taxes to be supporting and we're at a moment where they're broken hard.

They're broken hearted that like in the 25 to 40 years of resistance that they've been doing.

They haven't seen improvement and U.S.

policy abroad.

And so in this moment, they're great fall for like the growth of the war tax or text your sister movement.

They're grateful for more people coming into this.

But there also like really sad to be at this point where we we need growth and you know, why do you think this particular form of civil disobedience is important?

>> Yeah, I mean, there I mean, >> there are so many ways to resist.

Resist, you know, this administration or the policies that immigration raids, the warning the war in Palestine.

But this is something that is like deeply personal.

It is a a commitment between you and and the the IRS, the federal government and so this is something that like we don't exactly know how big this movement is because it is personal are seeing an increase users are just yes, we're seeing reaching out.

We're seeing more people are asking for help protecting financial assets in case that they are levied by the U.S.

government for the war tax resistance.

We're seeing people jump in and say, hey, I want to learn more and I want to understand the risks because I'm at a point where I am ready take risks to make change.

And Jenna, to be we only have a couple seconds.

What are your final thoughts?

Yeah, just you know, at one point is that not everyone can be a can resist paying taxes.

People who are paid a salary from an employer.

There's foxes are emitted by their employer.

And so tax resistance isn't an option for everyone.

>> even for people who do choose to go that route, right, there are serious potential consequences.

And and so, you know, it is important to think about maybe other ways of expressing dissatisfaction with the government and the way that the government is spending taxes, rain.

And of course, our most important voice, I citizens is is the ability to