Tax law is complicated, and most Texas residents would likely agree that many individuals who get in trouble with tax agencies may have done so out of ignorance of laws rather than intentional fraud. For one man who was arrested after paying his taxes, his intent appears to be to cause mischief rather than fraud.
The man reportedly owed a Texas county $600. He showed up in person to pay the bill using all $1 bills. Not only did the clerk at the tax office have to count out 600 bills, but apparently each bill was tightly folded.
The county office reported that the bill were folded so many times and so tightly that it took employees six minutes to straighten each of the dollar bills. That’s about 60 hours, or two-and-a-half days, of unfolding if one employee worked nonstop on the task.
According to reports, the man was not arrested for the folded dollar bills. He was, however, arrested for resisting arrest and criminal trespass. Reports are that the man refused to leave until all the bills were unfolded and acknowledged. Someone at the county office called police and reported that the man was disrupting the office. When police arrived, the man allegedly attempted to pull away as a deputy arrested him.
While this case is obviously extreme, it does have a valid point for tax payers in Texas. Whether dealing with the Internal Revenue Service or a local tax offices, it’s best to deal in a timely, appropriate manner with any tax bill. If you feel you don’t owe the taxes in question, there are many legal channels for questioning a tax bill so you don’t have to result to mischievous acts.
Source: Fox News, “Texas man arrested after attempt to pay taxes with tightly folded dollar bills” Feb. 04, 2015
