The federal income tax and social security tax are unconstitutional and illegal; the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (the income tax amendment) was not ratified in 1913 and Secretary of State Knox acted fraudulently when he proclaimed that it was; there is no law that requires citizens to file and pay federal income taxes or pay into social security, and federal income taxes are voluntary, not compulsory - these are the conclusions of a substantial body of knowledge that has been mounting for several years, according to Robert L. Schulz, Chairman of the , a non-profit corporation based in Queensbury, N.Y. 

The most recent research on the subject was published in March, 1999, by Joseph R. Banister, a former G-Man for the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, who enforced the IRS Code for years and who was trained to regard all tax protesters as "kooks." His report was the result of more than two years of investigation into the arguments made by tax protesters. The IRS forced Banister to resign in February after submitting his report to his IRS superiors. 

Banister's report supports previous work done by several noted experts, such as William Benson, William Conklin, Devvy Kidd, Irwin Schiff, and others from various parts of the country who have concluded that the income tax is a giant hoax, enforced by the government's brute intimidation of individuals. 

"It has reached the point that we must have an organized public debate on the whole matter," said Schulz. "People are having assets seized and going to jail for not complying with laws that are fraudulent," he said. 

This will be the goal of a symposium at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., July 1-2, at which experts will present their evidence and findings, and authoritative representatives from the federal government have been asked to disprove those findings. President Clinton, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have respectfully been asked to identify and send to the symposium their most knowledgeable people to represent the government. "This will be a showdown," said Schulz. 

The 1-1/2-day symposium will begin Thursday morning, July 1, with the "accusers," including Benson, Conklin and Banister, presenting their findings and arguments. After lunch, the government's experts are scheduled to present their case. They have been asked to bring definite evidence that the 16th Amendment was, in fact, properly ratified, that there is a law requiring citizens to file and pay federal income and social security taxes, and to give an unambiguous explanation as to how one can file a federal income tax return without surrendering one's Fifth Amendment rights. On Friday, July 2, one or more prominent proponents of tax reform are expected to present details about alternatives to the income tax, including such concepts as a national sales tax, a transaction tax, or an economic fee.