Ebonie Glenn Rhetorical Analysis Spring 2014

Since the existence of the United States, Americans must hand over on average, 30
percent of their hard earned income to pay federal and state taxes. As the head of household pays
for family necessities, taxes stand on the sideline, waiting to be paid. However, some Americans
will take this annoyance into their own hands. They would claim false tax returns over a period
of time, accumulating sums of money, and spend it frivolously. More advance Tax Cheaters
would even wire the money into foreign banks; allow others to help in their crime activities. The
rhetoric used in this controversial article is tone, factual evidence, and the choice of criminals
elaborate on the issue of taxes. Aaron Crowe argues taxes are preposterous, an unethical reason
for the government to control its people.
The Daily Finance is an online newsstand with thousands of financial literacy articles but
this one is intriguing. Tax evasion is becoming more commonly used in order to collect millions
of free money. Aaron Crowe, the freelance writer of this article, is no stranger to these financial
crimes. He briefly goes over the facts about tax evasion but elaborates on the effects caused by it.
Crowe selects ten of the biggest tax cheaters of this decade and shares their story with this
controversial issue, taxes.
Crowe explains the disadvantages of taxes using reported cases and information to appeal
to his audience logically. As Crowe argues against the use of taxes, he carefully avoids saying it
is unethical by using facts. His sources are either reports from the IRS or actual figures stating
the amount of money families will pay this year on federal and state taxes alone. These facts
entices readers to question their moneys destination. In any shape or form American families
income revolves around the government. Crowe also uses facts to startle his audience which
coincidentally are tax payers. Stated in the second paragraph of his article, Tax Freedom Day, the
day when tax payers will have worked enough to pay their taxes for this year, gets extended to
Ebonie Glenn Rhetorical Analysis Spring 2014
May 6
th
. Every extended day is another day a family struggles to pay their bills, or even to
provide the appropriate necessities. This logical technique has readers creating an alternative
way to earn an income which answers Crowes next argument, why tax cheaters cheat and it
correlates back to his argument that taxes are the problem, not the citizens.
Even though this article solemnly is an informative piece, Crowes tone introduces a
pathos appeal to the controversy. A tax evasion article should consist of a formal writing style,
including the writers tone. However, Crowes assertive yet comical tone adds a personal touch
to his article. The assertiveness demands readers for their attention to the factual evidence
presented. Although the comical tone Crowe has readers wanting to read on. He shares a story
about Rashia Wilson who as quote boasted on Facebook that she was untouchable and spent
lavishly, including $90,000 on an Audi A8 and $30,000 on her sons first birthday party, Slide
3. Rashia Wilson and Maurice J. Larry; this sentence adds a comedic tone to this persons crime.
Crowe also mentions a criminal who as quoted she may have been the most creatively stupid.
Slide 5. Krystle Marie Reyes, which brings readers to a chuckle. Crowes tone and style intrigues
writers to be aware of the mishaps taxes causes for desperate Americans. Mishaps from taxes
contributed to Crowes argument, taxes are unethical.
Tax filing season is between January 1
st
and April 15
th
; Crowe picked the best time to
criticize the government, after the filing deadline on April 21st. The article was written on the
same as Tax Freedom Day, mentioned earlier, coincidentally. Good job to Crowe for capturing
his audience at the right time and place, the day tax payers can finally earn their own income.
Crowe might have captured criminals attention too, briefly discussing the 438 new criminal
cases the IRS has investigated just this past year. There would have been no better way to warn
criminals except for verbally warning such citizens. His kairos appeal informs readers, either
Ebonie Glenn Rhetorical Analysis Spring 2014
desperate American families or money hungry criminals, of this years prospective tax crisis,
which are preposterous.
The choice of criminals selected to be Crowes top ten tax cheaters illustrates the
arguments ethical appeal. Americans are aware about the Bernie Madoff case yet, they may not
be knowledgeable about the other nine interesting cases. Crowe briefly shares the details of the
tax cheaters story, each one being more shocking then the next. However, since these other nine
criminals are not as popular as Bernie Madoff, Crowe makes sure to mention that the list is not
comprehensive because the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Justice do not publish
list of criminals with the highest tax bills, located at the end of the fourth paragraph. This
indicates the IRS and other government branches are keeping these cases secret, hidden from
society. This allows Crowe to have some creativity with sharing these cases which gives him
credibility, not the IRS. This indicates that the government offices controls whatever they want
citizens to know, even about tax evasion criminals who may work for companies or live next
door.
Tax evasion is a serious crime that can have a tax cheater in prison for twenty six years,
giving them a lot of time to think about how being honest with the IRS might be more
worthwhile, located at the end of third paragraph. All arguments dim the spotlight on the mishaps
of taxes, an unethical excuse for the government to control its people. Taxes are preposterous,
leaving no American in the winning circle.



Ebonie Glenn Rhetorical Analysis Spring 2014
Works Cited:
Crowe, Aaron. Biggest Tax cheaters of The Past Decade. Dailyfinance.com, 21 Apr. 2014.
Web. 1. May 2014. http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/04/21/biggest-tax-
cheaters/#!slide=2555469