From the Boston Tea Party to the modern Tea Party movement, history is replete with examples of organized resistance to paying taxes. But it's not just large groups, as Henry David Thoreau was briefly jailed for refusing to pay taxes. Confessions of a Radical Tax Protestor is the true story of another famous tax protestor-Larry Williams.
WHAT DO Henry David Thoreau, Joe Lewis, Judy Garland, Buster Keaton, Wesley Snipes, Ernest Hemingway, and Joan Baez have in common?
They're all famous Americans who, in a grand tradition with roots deep in the very foundation of the nation, vociferously protested what they believed to be an unjust system of taxation. Now we can add the name of futures trading legend, international adventurer, and two-time U.S. Senate candidate, Larry Williams to that list of notable freethinkers.
A rugged individualist, born and bred in Montana, Williams's cowboy ethos is best summed up by his observation that, "You know you will throw punches, may get beat up all to hell for what you believe in. That was not the point; the point was you stood your ground." It was an admirable philosophy that served him well in life and in business?that is until, following the advice of a seemingly reputable source, Larry decided to duke it out with one big bruiser who rarely loses: the Tax Man.
In Confessions of a Radical Tax Protestor, Larry tells the story of his harrowing six-year battle with the IRS. It was a fight that ranged across several continents and involved massive legal fees, public embarrassment for him and his movie star daughter, Michelle, and even jail time in one of Australia's most notorious lockups. Ultimately Larry won the battle, but only at tremendous cost to his family, his fortune, and his peace of mind.
The inspiring story of a singular man's fight for what he believed in, Confessions of a Radical Tax Protestor also serves as a cautionary tale for would-be tax protestors about false prophets who've led so many earnest objectors of conscience down the road to ruin and the true cost of going up against the biggest, orneriest, no-holds-barred brawler you'll ever meet.
