Comments on: Wesley Snipes, Tax Dodger, Beats the System

By: Andy

Andy — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:28:10 +0000

You have to be pretty clueless to think that you can waltz into a federal courtroom and convince a judge, who himself is paid out of the public kitty, that you don’t have to pay taxes. But if you’re gonna be a tax protester, you should display some principle about it. Snipes certainly has the right to say, “Let’s repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution and abolish the IRS.” Or he could take a Thoreau-like civil disobedience stand: “I’m sick and tired of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I’m not going to pay for them.” I somehow can’t see him doing this, however.

By: Dan Sniderman

Dan Sniderman — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:05:09 +0000

Having seen Snipes on the Letterman show, part of the issue is that he is dumber than a doornail. For example, he was bragging about being an Executive Producer on the movie he was hawking (note that HE brought up the topic). So Letterman naturally asked him what an Executive Producer actually entails. He stammered and made some stupid comments that made it clear that despite having been an actor for so many years - he had absolutely no clue what an Executive Producer was…

I think I may have just insulted doornails…

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:17:26 +0000

City employees don’t owe shield $100-million in taxable income from the government. Plus the city employees you’re referring to don’t deny their obligation to PAY taxes, they merely engaged in fraud to REDUCE their share of tax liability. Snipes denied he HAD any obligation to pay taxes period. There’s a qualitative difference.

Have you read the articles about his trial and the ways in which he attempted to get out of his obligations? He sends the IRS a bounced check for $14 million to pay his taxes while denying he has any obligation to pay at all. If you haven’t read the rest of his chicanery, you should. This is an intelligent & rich human being. You and I know we owe taxes. Would you believe some jackass defrocked CPA who tells you you have no obligation whatsoever to pay taxes? Snipes chose to believe this tripe when he, & any other semi-intelligent U.S. citizen would know otherwise. He should pay & he should’ve payed more dearly than he did in this jury verdict.

By: Daniel Millstone

Daniel Millstone — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:20:55 +0000

I am also perplexed. Professional tax advisers who lure clients into crazy strategies to avoid taxes may well be criminals. Their clients are dupes. In NYC every few years, for example, a bunch of city employees are reported to have filed tax returns premised on nutty theories — they claim hundreds of dependents, for example.They get caught, often lose their jobs and pensions. What is there about Wesley Snipes that sets your teeth on edge. Do you know something not generally reported? If so, it’s not in your post.

By: Amir

Amir — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:37:55 +0000

I was wondering why RS suddenly decided to pick on Wesley Snipes. I don’t think he’s Jewish. I never heard that he gave money to West Bank settlements. And then I found this.

An Indiana woman, Lanise Pettis, claims that Snipes fathered her 3-year old son Israel.

Now I get it, Snipes fathered Israel.
BTW, Pettis made similar claims agains Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey (wtf) and Prince. Someone should teach this lady biology. Anyway the case was dismissed when the biological father was determined.