New Jersey may stop paying federal taxes under new governor

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: msn/Politico

12h


Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey is floating the possibility that the state withholds federal tax dollars in protest of the Trump administration.

The comments from Sherrill — made on comedian Jon Stewart’s podcast — underscores how she's trying to find ways to push back against President Donald Trump’s agenda. Sherrill won New Jersey’s closely watched gubernatorial race earlier this month in a blowout, with the results widely viewed as a referendum on Trump.

It is unclear how such a proposal would work, and Sherrill's transition team declined to elaborate. The Garden State regularly pays more to the federal government in taxes than it gets back, according to an analysis from the Rockefeller Institute.

Sherrill, speaking with Stewart, said that she thinks about withholding federal tax dollars “all the time” and that it’s a “great idea.”
“If they're not gonna run the programs, then what are we paying them for?” she said. “It's like, you know, you're paying us for a service and they’re not delivering. So let’s stop paying for it.”

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/new-jersey-may-stop-paying-federal-taxes-under-new-governor/ar-AA1QUF33

[Irish_Dem]

1. Federal tax dollars now just go to the Trump Crime Syndicate for their luxury lifestyles

and offshore accounts.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. But how will Sherrill interrupt the federal taxes taken out of my paycheck

that I thought went directly to the U.S. Treasury? And wouldn't that be seen as embezzlement on a certain level?

[BumRushDaShow]

11. I saw noted a couple months ago

that these governors proposing this are generally referring to state employees, who they have control over.

It will obviously not be "everyone" working in the state, but a good chunk of a state's workforce, ARE the state/county/municipal employees who are not "private industry". I expect the money would be kept in escrow pending "negotiation".

[MichMan]

12. The US treasury would still go after you for non payment

Along with any applicable civil and criminal penalties.

[NJCher]

16. At which point

A counter suit would be filed for failure to deliver services.

Trump’s DOJ is overburdened with his BS; Sherrill will have an advantage.

[MichMan]

17. What specific services would an individual taxpayer be able to prove in court was illegally taken from them?

Any individual taxpayer, including Sherill (or yourself), can stop paying now and find out. If you defense works, it will upend the entire tax system.

If you believe that taxpayers should receive the same amount of services that matches what they pay in taxes, that means that the nearly 50% of lower income taxpayers that (after deductions etc.) don't pay anything in income taxes should get zilch.

[NJCher]

29. not true

would have to be defined, because they don't get "zilch."

nearly 50% of lower income taxpayers that (after deductions etc.) don't pay anything in income taxes should get zilch.

It's fairly useless for people like you to speculate, since this is an area of tax law that has not been developed. Personally, i'm not going to waste my time on it any further, other than to make this observation.

[popsdenver]

37. Not only that

but give Trump and his Republican CABAL justification to invade the state, institute Martial Law, and arrest all of the dems in the state government political offices...... along with the mayors and governor for conspiracy to evade federal taxes

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Red state red ink subsidies are on the table

I doubt withholding from the Feds will go anywhere due to practical implementation, BUT putting it out there in the national conversation is to our benefit. If NJ did find a way to withhold money from the Feds, the Trump administration would retaliate and stop supporting NJ with monies for highways, federal programs, etc.

[markodochartaigh]

4. If it were possible to stop the federal tax payments from blue states

the red states of the South would be left in the dust. I assume, if the Republicans were able to keep power at the federal level, that the federal government would ramp up federal subsidies, since the federal government is the only US government capable of deficit spending. Of course those federal subsidies would be filtered through layers of Republican corrupt officials and cronies and less would reach the intended recipients than does now. Stopping federal tax payments would also be a first step towards weakening the union of the states.

[azureblue]

13. The union is already weak

blue states have been supporting red states for way too long, and a red states do is bite the hand that is feeding them. The issue is GOP corruption - crony contracts, diverted funding, plain old stealing, so the people of red states don't get the money allotted to them.

If Trump withholds funds due to blue states, purely as a political ploy, then Blue states should with hold federal taxes to compensate.

So, the onus is on the GOP to clean up their act, Which they will never do. And this is what is weakening the union. Why should blue states continue to pay for GOP corruption and incompetence?

[popsdenver]

36. Trump already is

holding back money THAT WAS ALREADY ALLOCATED......... Focusing on just Blue States and Blue Cities......
Colorado and Denver's budgets are in turmoil.....he is also messing big time with large federal agencies as well as businesses and Corporations that are centered here in Colorado. Same with other Blue cities and states.....
A prime example is the so called "Space Agency" headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado.....he is moving it to some southern state who votes for him.
A billions of dollars a year, going out of that city alone, with thousands of jobs also going bye-bye. Actually Colorado Springs is about as RED a city as you can get, so he has obviously started screwing even his own voters, and their local Republican Politicians......

[JustAnotherGen]

5. She's listened to us

I don't think America realizes the deep resentment we have about lost wealth under the SALT Cap.

[Callie1979]

6. If WE cant simply not pay & get away with it, I doubt the States can either.

[RockCreek]

7. What about government student loans?

Especially if iegaly sold to corporations.
I think this was done with special banka accounts in the Cold War era for those who objected to paying for weapons.
I want an interest- making bank account to deposit Ioan repayment in.Preferraby off-shore or protected in some other way ftom those criminals who wouldn't hesitate to seize it.

[The Wizard]

8. It's time for the Free States

to end subsidizing Civil War reconstruction.

[Magoo48]

9. Yup,

I believe my state, the Republic of California, should redirect all federally earmarked dollars into our treasury for the betterment of all Californians.

[Ponietz]

10. Tax revolt!

[MichMan]

14. States don't pay federal taxes, their residents do

The vast majority of tax receipts are from income taxes on individual taxpayers paid directly to the US Treasury.

Residents of blue states on average pay much higher taxes than those in red states because their residents are much wealthier. The median household income in Massachusetts is $87K compared to a state like Arkansas with $50K. So, it would be expected (and desired) that wealthier taxpayers in Massachusetts would pay more in taxes than those poorer taxpayers in Arkansas.

Now if one wants to argue that wealthier taxpayers should be able to keep more of their money to themselves and not share it with those living in states with higher poverty, we usually call those right wingers.

If we look at cities, it is really no different than residents in Beverly Hills being taxed to provide benefits and services to those living in Compton. No one would agree that the Beverly Hills should be able to keep all their tax dollars for themselves.

[IbogaProject]

15. Sadly a dumb move as the Taxpayers are still liable

And the Feds could sieze the money, leave it locked up and begin collection enforcement against the individual taxpayers. Now if the Federal government witheald disbursements that were approiated like education, medicaid and other required payments it might be able to be argued in court. In that scenario the two might come closer to balancing out. An example of how voracious our tax code can be is being taxed on worldwide income, very few if any other countries do that.

[Farmer-Rick]

18. It would be easy but it would be challenged

But it is easy enough to do. Merely pass a law to collect federal income taxes into an escrow account, if the state constitution allows it. It would be an additional form all federal income tax payers in the state would have to fill out. The individual can show the IRS their completed forms as proof that they paid or the IRS can simply ask the State.

But the 16 amendment gives congress the power to collect income taxes nationwide directly from tax payers and employers. The Supremes have consistently upheld this power. And some states may have delineated this in their Constitutions.

But the US Constitution seems to be nothing of any import anymore. So, pedo Trump would have to challenge it and take legal action to stop the state. Then the state can just ignore what the Supremes order as pedo Trump does.

Since the Supremes are failing to uphold the constitution in other areas. Why should the States pay attention to them?

[MichMan]

20. Won't that put private employers or independent contractors into an untenable position ?

Either they send the $$ to the state and violate federal law, or send it to the US Treasury like they currently do and violate the state law. Pick one or the other. What happens when they make the wrong choice?

[paleotn]

32. For NJ state employees, which she is talking about, let the Feds pound sand.

Individual employees are protected once it's withdrawn from their pay. This has been literally beat to death.

[MichMan]

33. Apparently I missed it in the OP about it only applying to state employees

I read the link three times and still don't see where it says that.

[duckworth969]

34. Ignoring the corrupt SC

is something that I think is an eventuality for some states.

I remember CA was thinking about withholding from the Feds.

The Pacific Northwest states have already created a healthcare network they run between themselves. So, there are some states “boxing out” the Feds since the Feds aren’t doing their jobs.

[ChicagoTeamster]

19. NY, MA, IL, WA, and CA should do that as well.

[NNadir]

21. It's unworkable, but as a New Jersey resident, I applaud the sentiment. We have many great Governor's who lead...

...the resistance.

(I am currently reading a book, slowly, about "the resistance" in Vichy France, to Nazism, France on Trial. We have, in the United States, a large set of collaborators with Nazism.)

[BWdem4life]

22. No taxation without representation?

I believe that slogan has worked before...

[MichMan]

30. Except nearly every major city has a non resident income tax for people that work there, but don't live there.

Yet, they aren't allowed to vote in the city elections.

[PatrickforB]

23. Now you're talking! Starve the federal government until we can get rid of the corruption. I am sure I am not alone

in resenting the billionaires and Wall Street corrupting the governement to the extent that the middle class is being taxed without representation.

[ultralite001]

24. More power to her...

Stay safe, Mikie Sherrill...

[electric_blue68]

25. 🤔 The Complications of Red State monies...

If I'm getting that some want to withhold monies ftom Red States via Federal taxes; it's complicated.

Yeah, often in the South there're too many racist whites [I know we have 'em here in The North]. But many of the working class, and poor are African-American. Historically, poverty amongst them is usually tied up with racism; poorer education usually leading to low(er) paying jobs, etc. So withholding monies from Red States would also effect people we side with. Not good.

I hope I'm making sense.

[choie]

26. Except that's not how it works.

We each pay taxes to the federal government through payroll.

[BumRushDaShow]

28. Except that for STATE employees, their "payroll" agent is

*drumroll*

THE STATE.

(and that is the thrust of those governors looking at doing this )

[paleotn]

31. Yes, that is how it works for NJ state employees.

Jebus, how many times do we have to go over this??

[MichMan]

35. That would be just 3.5 % of the entire NJ workforce, while the remaining 96.5% would still be paying Federal taxes n/t

[paleotn]

38. So?

It is a huge amount of money, particularly for a state that pays more INTO the federal government than it gets back. NJ isn't a taker state.

I suppose if it were up to you, we'd all surrender and let Donnie have his way?

[MichMan]

39. Governors have been threatening this for months now; just go ahead and do it.

Start holding back all gas and excise taxes too.

[paleotn]

40. On that, we can both agree.

[slightlv]

42. If they withhold all the taxes into a escrow account,

why can't they use that money for their constituents who have paid into it, to deliver the services that the feds were mandated to supply, but aren't? This is beyond my little mind to comprehend... but I don't like my money going from my pocket into the pockets of trump and his traitorous henchmen. That money was to fund the government for services due to the American people. If we aren't getting the services, then the money should be withheld and doled out by the state for it's constituents to actually receive those services they paid for. How it can be done, I don't know. But to do otherwise and simply carry on with how we're doing now, means we... the American taxpayer... are paying for bombing Venezuelan fishing boats, paying for the murder of Venezuelan fishermen, not to mention all the ICE abuses we are tacitly approving of and paying for. Two phrases stick in my head... "Not in my name!" and "Taxation without Representation." There surely MUST be someway we, the people, can strike back... once we realize there's no way to guarantee free and fair elections.

[ultralite001]

27. May many more US Governors get on board w/ this tax revolt +

put those withheld Federal tax dollars to work in each of their states for folks
harmed by the policies of the Krasnov administration. Krasnov has harmed
veterans, children, immigrants, people of color, the elderly, homeless, folks
w/ disabilities, those in poverty, businesses + business owners + so many
more... Krasnov has destroyed the infrastructure of America that once kept
us safe, secure, fed, healthy + well. He has violated his oath of office... He
has demonstrated no respect for the Constitution or the rule of law.

So, let America's governors step up + show Krasnov how America works -- w/
care + compassion for all its citizens + mutual aid to the states around them...
Let America's governors declare to the world, as did our nation's founders, that

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity," + they will preserve. promote + redeem the Constitution of the
United States of America before it is completely annihilated by Krasnov + his cronies.

[FakeNoose]

41. Wow! I don't really believe they'll do this, but it's big news that they're even saying it

Put the federal tax moneys into an escrow account and let it accumulate interest. Then wait while the US Attorneys fight it out in court. Maybe this will start a trend with all the blue states.

[BigmanPigman]

43. Hear, hear!

I want to stop my state income tax dollars from CA and other Blue states going to bail out the tRump loving Red states. When they need $$$$ they always get it from our Fed tax dollars. My ACA will increase from $194 a month to $1,200 in 2026 (33% of my income in very expensive CA). I want to keep my federal taxes for those of us who watch every penny, and pay more taxes than billionaires do.