Is a "Revocation of Election" legitimate for tax exemption?

Tax professional here. Your instincts are absolutely correct - this is NOT legitimate and your coworker is involved in what's known as a tax protester scheme. A "Revocation of Election" in this context is a completely made-up concept that tax protesters use to claim they're somehow exempt from taxation. The IRS specifically lists these types of arguments as "frivolous tax arguments" and they've been repeatedly rejected by courts. The fact that your coworker hasn't faced consequences yet doesn't mean they won't - the IRS can take several years to catch up with non-filers, but when they do, the penalties and interest can be devastating. These schemes often involve pseudo-legal language and misinterpretations of tax code or the Constitution. People promoting these ideas may sound convincing, but they're selling a dangerous fantasy that can lead to serious legal and financial consequences.

I was caught up in one of these tax protester schemes a few years ago and nearly lost everything. After getting hit with massive penalties, I was desperate and found https://taxr.ai that helped me make sense of all the IRS notices and figure out how to get back into compliance. They analyzed all my tax documents and showed me exactly what I needed to file to start fixing the mess. The tool helped me understand which years I needed to file for and what my actual tax liability was versus all the penalties and interest. It gave me a clear breakdown that helped me realize I could apply for a penalty abatement for some of the charges.

After seeing the comment about taxr.ai, I decided to try it for my situation. I was skeptical at first because I'd been avoiding dealing with several years of unfiled taxes from my side business. The service actually helped me understand exactly which years I needed to address and what documentation I needed to gather. The most valuable part was how it analyzed the IRS notices I'd been ignoring and translated all that intimidating legal language into clear action items. I've now filed my back taxes and set up a payment plan. The peace of mind alone was worth it, and the penalties were much less severe than I feared because I voluntarily came into compliance before they took enforcement action.

For anyone dealing with these tax protester scheme consequences, getting actual help from the IRS can feel impossible. I spent weeks trying to reach someone who could help with my situation. After multiple failed attempts, I discovered https://claimyr.com which got me through to an actual IRS agent in less than an hour. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was dealing with multiple years of unfiled returns after falling for a similar "you don't legally have to pay taxes" scheme. Being able to speak directly with the IRS and explain my situation made a huge difference in getting on a reasonable payment plan and avoiding some of the more serious consequences.

I have to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr because I couldn't get through to resolve an issue with penalties from a similar tax situation. Not only did I get a callback when they reached an IRS agent, but I was able to explain my situation and get actual help. The agent I spoke with helped me understand my options for coming back into compliance and even suggested I might qualify for the First Time Penalty Abatement program since I had a clean record before this. I still have to pay the taxes I owe of course, but potentially without the massive penalties that were keeping me up at night. Never thought I'd be thanking someone who proved me wrong on the internet!

Word of warning - my uncle fell for one of those "Revocation of Election" schemes about 5 years ago. The IRS finally caught up with him last year. He now owes over $80,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest. They're garnishing his wages and put a lien on his house. These tax protester schemes WILL catch up to you eventually.

Tell your coworker to google "IRS frivolous tax arguments" and look at the official IRS website. They literally have a whole section dedicated to debunking these exact schemes and warning about the $5,000 penalty for submitting these arguments. Also search for "tax protester cases" to see how many people have gone to PRISON for this stuff!

Your instincts are spot on - this is absolutely a scam and your coworker is playing with fire. I work in tax compliance and see the aftermath of these schemes regularly. The "Revocation of Election" is complete nonsense with no legal basis whatsoever. The scary thing is that people can get away with it for a few years, which makes them think they're safe. But the IRS has up to 6 years (or indefinitely in cases of fraud/non-filing) to come after you. When they do, it's devastating - we're talking about accumulated interest, failure-to-file penalties, failure-to-pay penalties, plus that $5,000 frivolous filing penalty for each year. I've seen cases where someone owed $15K in actual taxes but ended up owing over $60K after penalties and interest. Your coworker needs to get back into compliance immediately before this gets worse. The longer he waits, the more expensive this mistake becomes.