History

The federal government finally passed the 16th amendment in 1913, allowing the U.S. Treasury to collect an income tax on all citizens, iaccording to the U.S. Treasury Department. Before this, almost all tax revenue came from import duties.

Identification

The federal income tax is a portion of a person's income paid to the federal government to pay for the functioning of government and pubic services, according to the U.S. Treasury.

Misconceptions

The federal income tax legal code uses the word "voluntary," but the Secretary of the Treasury has the right to enforce an income tax. The Internal Revenue Service lets people voluntarily pay federal income taxes so the IRS does not need to take legal action to get people to comply with the 16 amendment, according to the IRS.

Fun Fact

The IRS collected $1.366 trillion from the 2007 fiscal year federal income tax.

Warning

The Treasury Department has clear legal precedent to collect a federal income tax. Not filing an income tax return can result in interest accruing on unpaid taxes and legal moves to garnishee wages and bank accounts.

Source:

U.S. Treasury Department; History of the U.S. Tax System

Internal Revenue Service; The Truth About Frivilous Tax Arguments

Internal Revenue Service; Tax Stats at a Glance

Resource:

Internal Revenue Service; What Will Happen If You Don't File Your Past Due Return or Contact the IRS