As the end of the tax year nears, some social media users are sharing a video that claims Americans have no legal obligation to pay taxes.
The video, which appears to have originated on TikTok, features interviews with three people identified as former Internal Revenue Service agents who claim that no law or statute states Americans must pay income taxes. One version of the video posted on Facebook on Nov. 19 was shared more than 3,000 times.
"I was surprised to hear these highly trained and decorated IRS agents telling me there was no law requiring American citizens to file a 1040 or to pay an income tax on their labor," says the TikTok video's narrator.
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The original Nov. 19 TikTok garnered more than 100,000 likes. Versions of the claim have been widely shared on Facebook and Instagram.
But the claim is false. The 16th Amendment gives Congress the power to collect federal income taxes, government documents show. The power to enforce these tax laws has been delegated to the IRS, which imposes financial penalties on those who don't properly file their taxes.
USA TODAY was reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment. The TikTok user could not be reached.
The video clip was taken from Aaron Russo's 2006 film, "America: Freedom to Fascism."
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