Is there a law that says I have to pay my income tax?

Is there a law that says I have to pay my income tax?

Jordan Goodman (Personal Finance Author) gives expert video advice on: How many taxes does the average American pay?; How much of my earned income does the government take?; What does the government do with my money? and more...

There is a law that says you have to pay your income tax. That was passed when the IRS was originally set up back in 1913. People have tried to come up with all kinds of reasons why they're exempt from it: they're part of some religious order; they're part of some foreign country that lives inside the United States, like an Indian tribe. But all these don't wash. You do have to pay taxes, and if you don't pay your taxes, you're going to have very large penalties and interest, and the IRS is very strong about enforcing those. So, it's not an area you want to fool around with, saying, "Taxes are for everybody else, but I don't believe in them." That's not going to work with the IRS.