Go Banking Rates

Paying taxes stinks, but most of us realize that we have obligations to our country that must be fulfilled, and so we pay them.

For some people, however, it's simply too painful to part with their money, and they try to cheat the government out of what they fully owe. Some are smart about it, and some...aren't.

In fact, they're stupid about it. From claiming absurd deductions to embracing bizarre theories on why they don't have to pay taxes to begin with, people who try to avoid paying income taxes (the ones who get caught, that is) end up spending far more than they would have if they'd just played it straight.

Go Banking Rates highlights a few of these tales of taxation tomfoolery:

God Doesn't Pay a Living Wage

In 2002, Kent Hovind and his wife Jo were arrested on 58 federal charges, 12 of which included tax fraud.

Hovind's excuse? As a minister, he worked for God, and hence had no income. While it's disillusioning to hear that God pays so little - we assume no health insurance benefits, either - it's not clear where Hovind got the $431,000 he withdrew from his bank when he realized he was under investigation. In 2006, Hovind was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Those aren't tips, they're just savings

Minnesota stripper Stephanie Antes hid $80,000 in tip income from the IRS. She got busted by an anonymous caller, and when the IRS examined her bank records it showed balances far in excess of what she'd claimed on her tax returns. What's more, she had claimed her kids as dependents - getting a big state refund - even though their father had already claimed them.

The moral of the story? Be nice to everyone, bury your money in the backyard and don't claim your kids as dependents if you can't.

Pot and Taxes

Santa Cruz, Calif. pot-grower and dealer Ed Hoey got busted with 100 pounds of pot in his house and $500,000 in a storage locker.

Hoey had been mailing his cash crop to friends around the country - through the mail. Selling green on the black market may be lucrative, but if you're caught, you've now got tax issues to deal with as well. Talk about a buzz killer.

Bar the Doors, the Tax Man is Coming

Although not technically scammers - Ed and Elaine Brown basically just refused to pay taxes - their story is too awesome to exclude.

The feisty Browns, both in their 70s, got a lot of media attention when they refused to come out of their New Hampshire home and face the tax man's music. On June 7, 2007 SWAT teams and other people you don't mess with surrounded their home. They didn't emerge until October 4.

The Rich

"Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me," wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald, and one big difference is that many of them like to hide their money in incredibly complicated off-shore tax havens.

The Feds have long been wise to this - it doesn't take a tax expert to know the whole set-up reeked - but now they're finally doing something about it with the Global High Wealth Industry Group.

Barely a week after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, Americans have poured in support to the financial tune of over $200 million. What's even more astounding is that the giving has occurred at a time when Americans are suffering through their own bout with financial turmoil.

America is Recovering but Hasn't Recovered

After the financial crisis of 2008 left millions without jobs or homes in the United States, some are just now getting back on their feet. But there are still millions without work and many who still don't have homes of their own to live in. The unemployment rate at last count was resting at 10 percent and the job front wasn't looking up until the middle or end of 2010.

However, on Jan. 12, 2010, a devastating event occurred in Haiti and within seconds destroyed a country. Thousands were dead and millions homeless. After this occurred, it seems that Americans forgot their own struggles and saw others with the more devastating loss of family, food, water, medical attention and shelter. In that moment, many realized we still had much to be thankful for.

Giving is Priority #1

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, as of Monday, Americans have raised over $200 million in donations, showing that giving has been a major priority in the states. This estimate is based on a survey that looked at 25 charities contributing the largest amounts to the relief effort in Haiti.

Here is a breakdown of some of the dollar amounts raised by top organizations:

• American Red Cross - $103 million as of Sunday
• UNICEF - $18.2 million as of Monday afternoon
• Catholic Relief Services - $13.1 million as of Monday
• Oxfam America, World Vision U.S. and Save the Children USA - $7 million as of Monday

Many charities have noted that text and online contributions have resulted in an increase in giving becausemaking them isfast and easy. However, many others have still given over the phone, include those who watched CNN's Larry King Live donation special Monday night,where injust two hours, people gave nearly $5 million to UNICEF and the American Red Cross.

Companies and CelebritiesAlso Giving

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, corporations have also pledged large amounts to help the relief effort, including General Electric, Amgen, Microsoft and Coca-Cola, which have each pledged $1million or more. Additionally, celebrities have given personal dollars andauctioned off personal items (Larry King auctioned numerous pairs of his famous suspenders and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs auction his sunglasses on Monday night) to raise money.

Celebrities also plan to host fund-raising events, including the "Hope for Haiti" telethon that will air on MTV Friday with donations going to Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF and the Yele Haiti Foundation. Also, former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush plan to work together to raise money.

How Can I Give?

If you want to contribute to this important cause, in addition to participating in fund-raising events, you can give on your own (see story: Helping Haiti). Also, if you don't have the money right away and would rather give as you purchase other items, you could consider charging your contribution.

Sometimes we don't know that our contributions makea difference, but they do (did you know that justone pennypurchases a purification tablet that can clean 5 gallons of water?). So if you want to give, despite your own financial struggles, there's no greater time than now to do so.

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Data from...

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