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"Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there i
by apsec112 11y ago
"Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes."
"Over and over again courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one's affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant."
- Judge Learned Hand (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_Hand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_Hand)
- rmc 11y agoThere's no legal responsibility on me to be nice to my elderly parents either. Doesn't mean it's not The Right Thing To Do.
- sokoloff 11y agoWe legislate that you can't murder, torture, kidnap, or assault your parents. What you do beyond that is up to your conscience. Given that corporations are conscience-less entities, the de jure minimums become the de facto outcomes.
- paulddraper 11y agoRead the quote closer. It wasn't just talking about legal responsibility. It was talking about "patriotic duty", "sinister", "public duty", "voluntary", and "morals". Being mean to your elderly parents conflicts with a few of these ideals.