Michael Bowman is a staunch advocate against the practice of abortion. Like millions of other Americans, he believes that each life is precious and made in the image of God. So, citing his constitutional right to religious freedom, he is taking a stand and refusing to pay his taxes until the federal government ceases to fund abortion procedures.
But this isn’t anything new for Bowman — the 53-year-old engineer has refused to file a tax return or pay taxes since 1999.
Life Wins: Tennessee Becomes Latest State to Defund Planned Parenthood
“I’m not a tax protester. I love my country,” he told the Oregonian. “I have a duty to my country. I have a duty to my conscience.”
The IRS claims Bowman owes over $350,000 in unpaid taxes. So, when they started taking money out of his account, Bowman came up with a cunning plan: he promptly cashed his paychecks and left just a small amount in his account. That way, tax officials couldn’t get their hands on his money.
For that, this highly principled man was hauled up on charges of tax evasion.
“Defendant’s altered bank behavior removed his income from the reach of taxing authorities and allowed him to avoid payment of assessed taxes,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna Brecker Maddux and Rachel K. Sowray wrote in their defense of the felony tax evasion charge against the Washington native.
Incredibly, however, the ruling went his way, as he had not technically concealed any money in a bid to outsmart tax collectors.
“Not everything that makes collection efforts more difficult qualifies as evasion,” U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman said Wednesday.
Bowman’s defense lawyer Matthew Schindler, fully agreed with the ruling of the court.
“Cashing a check at your own bank, made out to you, representing income contemporaneously disclosed by employers through 1099 and W-2 forms to the IRS is not ‘handling one’s affairs to avoid making records,'” he said.
Bowman explained more about his approach to taxes in an interview with CBN News.
“First, I would love to pay taxes so as to have a normal life, however, our government is using the tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood; which commits abortions – the death of the innocent,” Bowman said. “Apparently, a woman has the right to choose, but evidently, I do not.”
Bowman admitted that citizens should be required to pay taxes for the funding of crucial national interests, such as the development and deployment of the military. But abortion, he argues, is a very different matter.
“You see, the Constitution grants certain abilities to the government, e.g. funding the military, but killing children is not a Constitutional backed, compelling interest of the government by any stretch of the imagination,” he explained.
With the recent omnibus spending bill, the federal government granted abortion provider Planned Parenthood with $500 million, meaning they can continue to carry out hundreds of thousands of termination procedures each year.
“All the government has to do is put a checkbox on the tax forms that says check here to support Planned Parenthood, and write in your donation amount,” Bowman proposed. “Then, just like any church or charity, Planned Parenthood will be funded by those that have no problem with it, and the 150 million people like me that are pro-life, can pay their taxes and live knowing we kept our conscience clean.”
Following his first legal victory, Bowman said that he will not stop fighting for the rights of the unborn.
“My effort [is] about standing up, standing firm for my Constitutional rights, and getting the government to honor title 42 Chapter 21.b The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, so that I may live a peaceful life, and in the end face God, and hopefully have Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!” he said.