FAQ
Question. Why didn't Bill pay his taxes?
Answer. Firstly, Bill did file all required returns and pay all taxes--he resolved everything with the IRS in 1999--over 10 years ago. He has been current with all taxes ever since.
Secondly, the lengthy battle to resolve his tax issue through an appeals process began nearly 25 years ago, when Bill was in his mid-20's. In 1984-85, Bill was traveling out of the country. He was in Africa for 4 months in '84 and in Honduras and Nicaragua volunterring as a medic in '85. During the two years, he made a total of $522 and $1,960 respectively.
Because his income was minimal, he did not think he was required to file a return. When he returned to the US, he was notified that the IRS had automatically filed returns for him under a program entitled "Substitute for Returns."
Substitute for Returns
Substitute For Returns (SFRs) are prepared and filed pursuant to authority granted the Internal Revenue Service by IRC §6020(b) which authorizes the IRS to prepare an individual income tax return on behalf of the taxpayer. In most cases, the Automated Substitute for Return (ASFR) system is used to evaluate the IRS Master File (MF) information about the taxpayer, and prepare an SFR for a wage earner or taxpayer without other unresolved taxpayer delinquent accounts (TDAs). In order to conserve manpower and financial resources, cases having the following criteria will generally be handled by the ASFR system: (1) The taxpayer is not self-employed; (2) total income is less than $100,000; (3) the income shown on the IRS Information Reporting System totals more than 75% of adjusted gross income and total positive income on the taxpayer’s last filed return; (4) the tax year is no older than six years prior to the current tax year; (5) there is no current or pending "uncollectible status" on the account; and (6) the taxpayer’s address has been verified. If these conditions do not exist, the matter will be sent to a Revenue Officer to review and obtain pertinent information prior to referral to the Examination Division for creation of an SFR for the taxpayer.
According to tax specialists: If you have unfiled tax returns and the Internal Revenue Service enforces a substitute for return, you cannot take advantage of any deductions and your tax liability will be wildly exaggerated. In the case of a business owner, this can be very serious. With a tax liability that is outrageously overstated and no ability to pay it, the tax authorities can eventually seize your property and close your business.
In Bill's case, the IRS used an income estimate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and filed a return for him showing $35,000 a year for income. They then took the standard 'single' deduction and sent him a bill for over $12,000 of back taxes. At the age of 26, making minimum wage as a construction worker upon his return to the States, paying the IRS $12,000 was not only unfair, it was impossible. Having just come from serving 8 months with the Nicaraguan Contras who were dying daily for what they believed in, it seemed natural and obligatory to hiim to fight what he considered a great injustice.
Question: Why did Bill run for the US Senate on the Libertarian Party on a platform of legalizing drugs and prostitution?
Answer: Over 15 years ago, at the age of 35, Bill had a great desire to make a difference in his country and felt that running for political office was the best way to do that. With strong Republican and Democratic candidates already in the race, Bill ran on a third-party ticket--the Libertarian Party. Believing in small government that allows citizens to have more control over personal decisions, the Libertarian platform included legalizing drugs and prostitution. However, Bill DID NOT campaign on those issues. The issues he campaigned on were:
- Campaign Finance Reform
- Balanced Budget Amendment
- Welform Reform
- Crime Control
- Anti-Gun Control
- Anti-Foreign Intervention
A scan of his actual campaign brochure during that year can be viewed here.
Realizing that Bill's views and values align more with the Republican Party, Bill left the Libertarian Party just one year later--in 1995. Since that time, Bill has worked tirelessly to get Republican candidates elected to office. In addition to assisting with others' campaigns, Bill entered the political arena himself with a successful run for Birmingham City Council in 1997. As Councilman, Bill served 4 years as chairman of the Public Saftety Committee and dealt with crime, crack houses and the collateral damage of the drug epidemic, including prostitution.
As ADECA director from May 2005 to June 2009, one of his many repsonsibilities included distributing over $25 million to drug task forces and poilce and sheriff departments across the State to fight the war on drugs. "Whatever naive notions I had about personal liberty and individual freedom I had with respect to substance abuse have been long since dashed by witnessing the devestation that drugs have on our children, families and communities."
Bill believes that substance abuse is one of our societies largest and most pressing problems. For this reason, he launched the Community Partnership for Recovery and Renewal, a partnerthip between the state and faith and commnuity-based organizations, while he was at ADECA to help break the cycle of drug dependency and reduce recidivism, and has worked with faith and community-based organizations across the State to reduce substance abuse and increase opportunities for recovery.