Cheek v. United States
Case Date: 05/06/1991
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In Cheek v. United States, 498 U.S. 192 (1991), the United States Supreme Court reversed the conviction of John L. Cheek, a tax protester, for willful failure to file tax returns and pay tax. The Court held that an actual good-faith belief that one is not violating the tax law, based on a misunderstanding caused by the complexity of the tax law, negates willfulness, even if that belief is irrational or unreasonable. The Court also ruled that an actual belief that the tax law is invalid or unconstitutional is not a good faith belief based on a misunderstanding caused by the complexity of the tax law, and is not a defense.
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