When Paying Tax Becomes a Terrorist Act
An extraordinary event occurred which will compel taxpayers to end their funding of Britain’s illegal wars. In a remarkable legal judgement[1] on the definition of terrorism, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the military activities of the British Government are terrorism.
“ action outside the United Kingdom which involves the use of firearms or explosives, resulting in danger to life … is terrorism.”
“ the definition [of terrorism] would … appear to extend to military or quasi-military activity aimed at bringing down a foreign government, even where that activity is approved (officially or unofficially) by the UK Government.”
Britain’s military actions in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere are unequivocally illegal
This definitive Supreme Court decision means that Britain’s wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, each of which was aimed at bringing down a foreign government, each of which involved the use of firearms and explosives and each of which caused the deaths of thousands of men women and children are terrorism and as such are unequivocally illegal.
It also means that Parliament’s recent decision to order the RAF to bomb targets is illegal and must be rescinded. As the law applies equally to every UK resident, regardless of their role or position in public life, this Supreme Court ruling means that anyone who aids or abets the wars and the bombing breaks the law and is criminally liable, alongside those employed in decision making, administration, collection and enforcement to fund terrorism including Ministers, MPs and military commanders, for the consequences, the deaths of innocent men women and children.
Funding terrorism is a crime
When Parliament enacted the Terrorism Act 2000 it made it a criminal offence[2] for a person to demand, collect or provide money if he knows that it will be used for the purposes of terrorism.
15. (3) A person commits an offence if he provides money or other property, and knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism.
The implications of the Court ruling for taxpayers are momentous. If a taxpayer knows that some of the money they pay in tax may be used for the purposes of terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere, he or she now has a legal duty to withhold the money from the Government and its agents until the Government can prove that it will not be used for the purposes of terrorism.
[1] Regina ‘v’ Gul UKSC 64 (2013) Paragraphs 26 and 28
[2] Terrorism Act 2000 section 15
Taxpayers’ legal duty to withhold tax
This means that every taxpayer in Britain must now withhold all payments of tax [income tax, council tax, VAT etc] until the wars and bombing in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere have ended, HM forces have been recalled, war crimes trials of those responsible for the deaths of Afghan, Iraqi and elsewhere, British citizens have begun and all preparations for future military activity have ended.
Employees’ duty to report employers to police
Another astonishing implication of the ruling is that employees now have a legal duty under section 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to report to the police anyone that they know or suspect is demanding, collecting, paying or using money (tax) for the purposes of terrorism.
19. Disclosure of information: duty.
(1) This section applies where a person believes or suspects that another person has committed an offence under any of sections 15 to 18, and bases his belief or suspicion on information which comes to his attention … in the course of his employment…
(2) The person commits an offence if he does not disclose to a constable as soon as is reasonably practicable his belief or suspicion, and the information on which it is based.
Report tax collectors and taxpayers to police
If you know of an employer who is making payments (PAYE, NI, VAT, Corporation tax etc) to HM Government, a business that is collecting VAT from its customers, an MP who voted to bomb Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere, a Chief Executive, Head of Finance, Head of Legal within Councils, a local councilor who is demanding and collecting council tax, a student who is paying fees or repaying loans or a judge who orders a person to pay tax or fines, you have a legal duty to report them to the police. Furthermore, if you know that these things are happening and you fail to report them to police you commit a crime under section 19 (2) of the Terrorism Act 2000.
To pay or not to pay? That is the question
This extraordinary Supreme Court ruling means that every taxpayer in Britain is now duty bound by law to withhold all taxes from the Government and its agents until a Court rules that the UK Government has ended its involvement in war, ended its illegal use of firearms and explosives and provided taxpayers with immunity from prosecution. So the choice for taxpayers is clear. Either you continue to pay taxes and risk prosecution for funding terrorism and war crimes, or you withhold tax payments until Parliament stops the wars, obeys the laws[3] and ends the use of force, so public money can give quality to life and save lives at home and not abroad.
[3] UN Charter, Nuremburg Principles, UN Declaration on Principles of International Law [UNGAR 2625], International Criminal Court Act 2001, Terrorism Acts, Offences Against the Person Act 1861, Accessories and Abettors Act 1861
