Frequently asked questions.
- Got some questions?
Here are the answers.
Below you’ll find clear, honest answers to some of the most common questions about No Tax for War. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, get in touch — we’re here to help.
How do I fill in the trust deeds form?
What will happen next?
When you receive further correspondence from HMRC or your council explaining how they are processing your complaint, point out to them that this is not a complaint. Always be polite but stand your ground. It’s important to state that you are not wilfully refusing to pay tax, you are merely putting a condition on the government collecting your taxes, namely that it cannot use any of monies for criminal purposes, such as wars of aggression, crimes against humanity, terrorism and genocide. Because the government — in the form of HMRC or your council — is named as the Primary Beneficiary of your Trust, the monies belong to them and they may collect these monies at the end of the financial year, so long as they meet your conditions.
Can I use this to hold money for my kids in trust?
No. This is specifically a Deed of Trust for your taxes. You would need to talk to a lawyer (or accountant) to set up an entirely separate rust for your children.
Can I just withhold 10% of my tax?
No. War resisters have been trying unsuccessfully for nearly 80 years to withhold the 10% the government allocates to war. More than 40 cases have been heard since 1947 and they have all failed. The High Court has ruled that only Parliament can decide how tax money will be spent, not the individual taxpayer.
What happens at the end of the tax year?
If by the end of the tax year the government is able to show it has satisfied the Trust conditions, then you pay the taxes. If the government is not able to show this, the money goes to the Secondary Beneficiary, which is you. In the case of an employer withholding taxes for his employees, the monies go back to the employees. As it is highly unlikely the government will comply with your lawful conditions, the monies are returned to you and you can use them to fund local causes.
Can I make a charity a trust beneficiary?
Yes. You can set up your Individual or Corporate Taxation Trust to cover this. However, at the end of the tax year — 5 April — you’re free to do what you want with the cash so it may be simpler just to make a donation to the charity of your choice at that point.
But if I don’t pay Council Tax, who will pay for the local amenities, like buses and the library?
The most important thing is not to fund wars. No funding, no wars. Once you have committed to forcing the government to behave responsibly, it will either choose to do so (unlikely) or will not (likely). You and a collective of local residents could then up a community co-operative taxation trust into which your taxes can be paid and you can help finance your local community that way.
What if I’m not self-employed and my employer automatically deducts NI and PAYE?
You need to inform your employer that when Britain signed up to the United Nations Charter, the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court and Nuremberg, they had a duty to honour these solemn and binding agreements made between nation States. As they have not, it is up to every one of us to honour what was agreed. This includes resolving all disputes peacefully and never intervening directly or indirectly — for whatever reason — in the external or internal affairs of any other state. It is contrary to the Nuremberg Charter to initiate a war of aggression — the supreme international crime.
If I am employed — and my NI and PAYE is taken at source — do I need to fill out both deed forms?
As an employee, you can give the the Corporate Tax Trust Deed to your employer and ask them to complete it for all employees. If they have questions about it ask them to get in touch. Employees can still use the basic Individual Tax Trust to hold back all other taxes including Council Tax.
If you are the owner or director of a business, and wish to hold back PAYE and NI on behalf of your employees, you need to set up a Corporate Tax Trust.
Does the Primary Beneficiary need to sign the deed of declaration?
No. The Primary Beneficiary doesn’t need to sign. This is not a contract. It is very similar to a living will. The beneficiaries of a will don’t need to agree to what’s in it. All they need to know is that they are beneficiaries and if there are conditions attached to the will then they need to know them so that they can choose whether to meet them or not.
But if I haven’t given the HMRC any money, how have I paid?
Once you have completed the Individual or Corporate Trust Deed and had it witnessed, open a separate bank account to receive all the monies you are withholding, Alternatively, place them in a lock box labelled Trustee. Send copies of the Trust Deed to HMRC and/or the council. This money now belongs to the Trustee who must hold it for the Beneficiaries. If the Primary Beneficiary meets all the Trust conditions, the Trustee must transfer it to the Primary Beneficiary’s agents (HMRC, councils, etc). If however the Primary Beneficiary fails to meet the conditions, the Trustee must transfer all the assets to the Secondary Beneficiary and terminate the Trust.
At the tax year end on 5 April you need to check whether the government has met your conditions. If it has, start paying the taxes. If it hasn’t, write to HMRC and/or your local authority formally explaining why they have no right to claim any back-taxes from you. Then set up a new Tax Trust for the year ahead.
Won’t HMRC come after me, no matter what the law?
This is for you to decide! If you do, you’re obviously proactively engaging with HMRC. But submitting a personal or corporate tax return also shows that you are willing to pay your taxes — but only if you are provided with cast-iron proof they will not be used to fund wars, war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide.
If you choose not to submit a tax return, HMRC will chase you for it: just repeat that you are not wilfully withholding taxes. Rather, you are awaiting proof that your money will only be directed towards peaceful purposes.
Do I need to send HMRC my tax return?
This is for you to decide! If you do, you’re obviously proactively engaging with HMRC. But submitting a personal or corporate tax return also shows that you are willing to pay your taxes — but only if you are provided with cast-iron proof they will not be used to fund wars, war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide.
If you choose not to submit a tax return, HMRC will chase you for it: just repeat that you are not wilfully withholding taxes. Rather, you are awaiting proof that your money will only be directed towards peaceful purposes, in accordance with UK and international law.
