Nearly one in five Americans think that cheating on taxes is either morally acceptable or not a moral issue, has shown a telephone survey made by the Pew Research Center. So what do you think? Is this percent low or high? 79 percent of the people have said that not reporting all income for getting lower taxes is morally wrong.

But why is it wrong? The survey hasn't asked this question. Is it wrong because you have a duty to support the state? Is it wrong because others are paying so why should you be any different? Is it wrong because the elected government "represents" us and thus not supporting it is like an anti-social act? Is it because you are holding for yourself something that doesn't belong to you, so not paying taxes is like stealing from the state?

The answer to the question obviously depends on your view over what the state and the government (that spends the tax money) are.

I personally think that not paying taxes is not a bad thing at all; it's almost like a heroic behavior. The reason is simple: taxes are not voluntary. The old American saying "no taxation without representation" for which Americans have actually fought and which simply represents the idea that the amount of taxes should not be arbitrarily decided by the government (the way it was when the British were ruling America) is long dead.

Think about how a mafia organization works: It comes to you and tells you that you have to pay for "protection". If you refuse they will demonstrate to you that you truly need "protection" because they will come and thrash your store or home and beat you up. So, you are then convinced. But then, who knows, maybe you can comfort with the idea that there is open entry in the mafia, maybe your child will join them.

But what's the difference between a mafia organization and the government? Is not paying taxes stealing from the state or is it on opposition to someone that comes and steals from you? I think it's the latter. You have worked for your money, the state had nothing to do with it. It just comes later and takes part of your earning, as much as it decides, not as much as you are willing to give away for supporting various public projects. And what happens if you refuse to pay taxes? Well, they will send somebody (called the police) to "convince" you. If you have the nerve to protest they are entitled to use force. So, as far as I can tell, the fact that taxes are not voluntary turns the government in a mafia organization. As a poster said, "no matter whom you vote for, the government wins". And cheating on taxes really is like a heroic thing, it means opposing a thief far more powerful than you.

However, differences exist. The mafia doesn't ask you to think that not paying for "protection" is morally wrong.