Media commentator Carl Higbie said Americans should take direct action against what he described as an unfair tax system by instructing their employers to stop withholding federal taxes from their paychecks, arguing the move would deny the federal government an interest-free loan on workers’ income and force lawmakers to respond.
Higbie made the remarks while outlining what he characterized as a lawful tactic to draw attention to federal taxation policy and congressional inaction.
He said employees who receive a W-2 can ask their human resources departments to halt federal tax withholding and instead set the money aside themselves.
“But here’s what you can do, and this is bold, here’s some, and it’s totally legal, by the way, you get a W-2, right?” Higbie said.
“Go to your HR department on Monday and tell them that you don’t want to withhold any federal taxes from your payroll.”
Higbie cautioned that the taxes would still likely need to be paid later, but argued that withholding them throughout the year benefits the government at taxpayers’ expense.
You can do this under the IRS safe harbor rule as long as you adjust by end of year. But it won’t take till December to send the message.
— Carl Higbie (@CarlHigbie) January 3, 2026
“Now look, put those in a separate account, because you’re still going to probably have to pay them at the end of the year unless Trump takes my idea and pardons every citizen for not paying taxes in 2026 but you would break the trend of not giving the government an interest free loan on your income for an entire year,” he said.
Higbie said taxpayers could settle their obligations when filing returns rather than allowing the government to hold the funds for months.
“You can just pay it at the end of the year when you do your taxes in April,” he said.
“If a few million productive citizens do that. I bet the Treasury starts panicking, but we get their attention real quick, folks.”
He said his advocacy does not end on air, claiming he actively relays audience feedback to elected officials and senior staff.
“Just so you know, I don’t just like come on here also and talk about this,” Higbie said.
“When I get done with this show for an hour on the train, and when I get home, I’m like, taking clips of what we talked about and showing them your sentiment of the tweets and things that you send me, and I send them directly to congressmen and senators and governors and sometimes even the President’s staff, so they know how we feel.”
Higbie encouraged listeners to amplify their views on social media to force lawmakers to address tax policy directly.
“I feel like a conduit of you, and the more you folks share this stuff, like go on social media and follow me on Instagram and Twitter or X or whatever it’s called, and share this stuff, force them to listen,” he said.
He criticized long-serving lawmakers and called for concrete legislative action, including revisiting constitutional provisions governing federal taxation.
“I’m done supporting empty promises,” Higbie said.
“Let these people who have worked in DC for decades know that it’s time to do real stuff like repeal the 16th Amendment, just like put it up for a vote. Why not get people on the record who is for and against taxing?”
Higbie argued that Congress has failed to deliver results and said transparency on lawmakers’ positions is necessary.
“You just start doing stuff, because this last year has been Congress’s least effective year in my lifetime,” he said.
WATCH:
.@CarlHigbie: "Go to your HR Department on Monday and tell them you don't want to withhold any federal taxes from your payroll." pic.twitter.com/zdShhwddYS
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) January 2, 2026
