What happens when an IRS insider trades audits for anti-government conspiracies? In this week’s episode, we dive headfirst into the tangled world of the Tax Defier Movement a universe of pseudolegal theories, fringe seminars, cruise-ship conferences, and people who genuinely believe the income tax is optional.

Our case study? Sherry Peel Jackson, a former IRS agent, CPA, and Certified Fraud Examiner who went from enforcing the tax law… to denying it applies at all. After discovering a full-page ad claiming that “income taxes is a fraud,” Jackson fell down a rabbit hole of books, seminars, and misinformation that would eventually lead to a four-year federal prison sentence.

Join Dominique and Tom as they trace Jackson’s journey from respected IRS employee to one of the most notable faces of the modern anti-tax movement. Along the way, you’ll hear:

How an ad in USA Today helped fuel a nationwide surge in tax-defier ideology The rise (and spectacular fall) of the Global Prosperity and PQI schemes Why cruise ships are apparently the unofficial headquarters of tax fraud The most common (and most debunked) myths tax defiers swear by Section 861, the 16th Amendment, 5th Amendment claims, and more How the IRS and DOJ have responded to the growing wave of “tax truthers” Why rhetorical attacks on the legitimacy of the tax system not lost revenue pose the real threat

This episode untangles the conspiratorial logic behind the Tax Defier Movement and shows why these arguments fail in court every. single. time. Spoiler: judges don’t accept “I am a sovereign citizen of my own bedroom” as a legal defense.

By the end, you'll understand how an intelligent, credentialed professional can get swept into a movement built on flimsy interpretations and wishful thinking and why the IRS will never, ever buy the claim that taxes are voluntary.

If you’ve ever wondered how misinformation spreads, who profits from it, and why so many smart people fall for bad tax advice… this episode is your case study.