Like most Americans, I once supported the government and its terrible policies — I can look at an old W2 form to see just how much. I didn’t want to support the government, but I had to face the facts: my opposition was only an opinion while my support was in dollars and cents.

Finally I decided that refusing my moral support wasn’t enough: I have to put my money where my mouth is.

In 2003 , I stopped paying federal income tax and started working for my values instead of against them. I quit my job and reduced my income so that I no longer owe any federal income tax. I transformed my life, concentrating on what really matters, so that I can live well and securely on a lower income.

I take a practical approach, learning about the tax laws and about how to live well economically. I can live within my means without owing federal income tax — honestly, peacefully, and legally — and I can avoid paying other taxes as well.

For us to live honorable lives unstained by the government’s crimes, it’s going to take hard work and practical changes. Complaining and wishful thinking and meme tweeting and voting aren’t going to be enough. We have to start by putting all of our effort on the side of our values, instead of allowing so much of our effort to be stolen by the tax collector and used in ways that shame us.

On this blog, I write about living my beliefs — why I chose this path and what I’m learning along the way.

— David Gross