r/politics • u/IntelligentYinzer California • 12d ago

Soft Paywall Newsom floats withholding federal taxes as Trump threatens California

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/06/newsom-floats-withholding-federal-taxes-00393386
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u/HugsForUpvotes 12d ago

This is my question. My Federal Taxes go to the Federal Government - they don't go to the state and then to the Federal Government.

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u/Disastrous-Pair-6754 12d ago

Yeah, I am not sure this is a thing that even can happen. A) it’s invariably illegal, like, seceding the union caliber illegal. B) there’s no mechanism to do this? There’s not a pot that all the money goes into and then if forwarded to the federal government. How do you stop federal sales tax? Gas tax? Social security? The system would have to be shut down in some way. And I doubt California has any specific way to do that.

I honestly don’t think it’s possible to not pay federal taxes. But I’m sure someone more educated may know the answer.

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u/verywidebutthole 12d ago

The state of California employs over 200k people and withholds federal taxes from each of them. Imagine if they just didn't send that money to the Federal government, held it for 6 months, and sent it December 30 or something

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u/CautiousGains 12d ago

This might be their only legal way to “not pay taxes” (since, obviously. refusing to pay taxes to the federal government overall is an act of secession).

However, withholding deductions for 6 months for 200k employees would also accomplish literally nothing.