Anyone can write a book these days (I know; I’ve written two). However, some aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. Joe Kristan at Roth Tax Updates reported on Cracking the Code: The Fascinating Truth About Taxation in America. As Joe notes, the author, Peter Eric Hendrickson, advises people to just file Form 4852, show no income, and claim your refund.
I’ve had people come to me from time to time stating such schemes. And that’s all they are: methods of tax evasion.
In any case, sales of Mr. Hendrickson’s book will likely plummet as he received a permanent injunction barring him from filing tax returns based on this method, and he must submit corrected versions of his prior year tax returns.
The moral of this story is simple: There is an income tax and you do have to pay it.