Is It Evasion or Is It Exhaustion?

Is It Evasion or Is It Exhaustion?

The Hidden Ways the System Pushes Taxpayers into Silence

By Pamela Jackson | She Heals Silently

Every year, millions of Americans brace themselves for tax season—armed with W-2s, 1099s, receipts, and the lingering fear of making one wrong move. But what if I told you that some of the people labeled as “tax evaders” aren’t trying to cheat the system…

They’re just tired of trying to survive it.
Let’s talk about what no one wants to admit:
Sometimes it’s not evasion. It’s exhaustion.

When the System Is Set Up to Confuse You

The federal tax system is built like a maze—with shifting rules, cryptic forms, and little-to-no guidance unless you can afford a tax professional. For everyday people juggling kids, rent, medical bills, or unstable employment, the mental bandwidth needed to correctly file taxes can feel impossible.

What happens when the “Free File” system isn’t really free?
When the IRS sends letters you can’t interpret, or when your tax refund disappears without explanation?

Many stop trying—not because they’re dodging responsibility, but because the system never met them with clarity or care.

Audits, Errors & Fear: A Setup for Silence

Low-income taxpayers—particularly Black families—are audited more than billionaires. The Earned Income Tax Credit, designed to help families, is the most targeted by audits. Let that sink in.

And what happens if your refund is flagged, your identity stolen, or your unemployment overpaid due to a glitch in the state system? You get blamed. You get blocked. You get penalized for something you didn’t create.

You get tired.

Tax Evasion Isn’t Always Intentional—Sometimes It’s Survival

When a mother misses a filing deadline because she’s dodging eviction, is that evasion?
When a laid-off worker doesn’t file because their tax return was stolen last year and never resolved—is that criminal?

No. It’s exhaustion. It’s trauma. It’s burnout.

And yet, these same people are called “noncompliant” by systems that never complied with their humanity.

Government Tactics That Push People Away

Here are a few common examples:

• Withholding refunds for unknown “debts” with no clear explanation

• Auditing poor families more than corporations

• Providing no real-time help, but expecting real-time compliance

• Punishing identity theft victims instead of protecting them

• Complicating the filing process while demanding perfection

When Surviving Feels Like Resistance

It’s not that people don’t want to comply.
It’s that they’re barely breathing—and every system designed to “help” them just adds more pressure.

When hope disappears, so does participation.
And what’s left isn’t evasion.
It’s silence.
It's people ghosting a system that never showed up for them.

So… Is It Evasion or Is It Exhaustion?

Maybe it’s both. Maybe it’s neither.
Maybe it’s time we stopped criminalizing survival and started listening to the people trying to speak up but getting drowned in red tape.

Call to Action:

If you’ve ever felt pushed out of the system, know this:
You’re not lazy. You’re not alone. And you’re not the problem.

Let’s keep naming the tactics.
Let’s keep exposing the truth.
Let’s keep creating tools that empower—not punish.

It’s time to reclaim your voice—and your power.

Pamela Jackson
She Heals Silently. The Phoenix Coach.