A History of Tax Rebellion

Tax rebellion has been the single most important principle underlying all the successful rebellions in history. Magna Carta started with a tax rebellion, the English civil war, American independence, French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, Gandhi’s salt tax rebellions and the Glasgow women’s rent strike of 1915. 

The American war tax resister Henry David Thoreau lectured on ‘The Rights and Duties of the Individual in relation to Government’ and penned Civil Disobedience the philosophy of which influenced Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jnr. 

In Britain The Peace Tax 7, believed that having the right to conscientiously object to taxes being spent on war preparation would enable citizens to influence the way their country approached conflict in the world. Their conscience, ethics and morality were not recognised by the so-called courts of justice.

The problem therefore remains: What is a taxpayer to do when the government is in breach of international law to avoid being complicit in the crimes of government. Please read this statement by Chris Coverdale.

Who We Are

ProbityCo is an independent, voluntary group of people from across Britain who advocate for war tax resistance. We believe that so long as our government is unwilling to uphold those international (ratified) laws to which it is a signatory, the responsibility to uphold those laws falls on us, the British taxpayer.

Our stance is clear: Our taxes should not finance illegal wars, which would constitute a crime under international law, but should instead support peace and justice. ProbityCo stands with those who refuse to fund aggression and who demand accountability from our leaders. Together, we can ensure that our actions and contributions remain within the bounds of international law, while holding those in power to account.

What We Do

We offer information, advice, support and resources for individuals who are interested in the principle of responsible taxation and/or are actively refusing to pay tax for war. We are not lawyers, legal or financial advisors and the content on this website is not intended as legal or financial advice. While we can provide information and guidance, we encourage you to do your own research on these issues and if necessary seek professional advice.

ProbityCo – Make War History

For many years, Chris Coverdale, the founder member of ProbityCo, has refused to contribute his tax to Britain’s illegal wars. His ethical concerns about his government’s role in these wars led him to challenge the use of taxpayer money for such purposes.

However, in 2014 a judge deemed his arguments ‘frivolous’ and sentenced Chris to jail three times—in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Chris then discovered that thousands of the UK’s wealthiest individuals use trusts to withhold tax without facing imprisonment – a trust is a legal arrangement to ensure that assets go to named beneficiaries. Chris decided to place his tax in a revocable trust. Using this mechanism, taxes are set aside for HM Government  (the primary beneficiary of the trust) until such time that the government can prove that none of the funds will be used to support war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide. Should they be unable to do so, they forfeit their right to access the monies, the trust can be terminated and the money donated to other causes. 

To date, this approach has worked for Chris. The demands have been reduced considerably and Chris remains a free man because he is no longer willfully refusing to pay tax, just setting his taxes aside until such time that the government can prove his taxes will not be used to fund war crimes.

In the short film below, Chris Coverdale explains how to set aside your taxes
in a conditional, revocable trust.