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For years I've been wondering why companies only have to pay taxes for human work but not for robot work, how are we supposed to live in this post work paradise

by jeena 10y ago

For years I've been wondering why companies only have to pay taxes for human work but not for robot work, how are we supposed to live in this post work paradise if those with the means of production are replacing human workers with robots to extract more profit by sharing less with everyone else?

bobcostas55 10y ago
Because payroll taxes go to social security/medicare. Robots don't need either of those.
- erubin 10y ago
  the people displaced by the robots do, and more than ever.
  - jeena 10y ago
    Exactly that.
ragebol 10y ago
If labor from robots and machines in general also taxed, governments should even subsidize the initial cost of those machine, as that cost/investment will be rewarded later by the taxes.
nradov 10y ago
Companies already pay income taxes on profits earned from robot work. There's nothing special about robots; the same applies to any type of equipment. I don't know how anyone could even draw a useful distinction between "robots" and other types of machinery for tax purposes.
eli_gottlieb 10y ago
>how are we supposed to live in this post work paradise if those with the means of production are replacing human workers with robots to extract more profit by sharing less with everyone else? We collectivize the means of production and run the robots ourselves.
samlevine 10y ago
Simple, robots with guns to prevent the humans from guns from takings your stuff.
edblarney 10y ago
Companies that innovate through automation would ostensibly make more profits - which are taxed. Companies pay taxes on labour - usually as a function of 'social security' and other things - a 'human' will engender social costs down the road into which taxes must be paid. In Canada - the only payroll tax is basically that - social security. Somewhat similarly in the US. On the continent - it's a little more. The reason that the government taxes labour (before income tax) is because: A) They can. And what gov. official doesn't want to get more tax revenue? B) It's an easy tay to hide huge income taxes. If the EU simply transferred all payroll taxes and simply rolled them into income taxes (which would be economically equivalent) - then income tax in most EU countries would be quite massive. Well over 60% in many cases. That doesn't 'seem' very competitive, does it. Also - when you get your paycheque today in France it has x% deducted - if there wasn't payroll tax then it would be much more deducted - and the 'emotinality' of it all would be much greater. Payroll taxes are a way to 'hide' high tax rates from the commoner. It would be more transparent if EU countries just did away with payroll taxes and put it as part of income tax - then we'd have a better picture of what is going on.

by jeena 10y ago

bobcostas55 10y ago

Because payroll taxes go to social security/medicare. Robots don't need either of those.

erubin 10y ago
the people displaced by the robots do, and more than ever.
- jeena 10y ago
  Exactly that.

ragebol 10y ago

If labor from robots and machines in general also taxed, governments should even subsidize the initial cost of those machine, as that cost/investment will be rewarded later by the taxes.

nradov 10y ago

Companies already pay income taxes on profits earned from robot work. There's nothing special about robots; the same applies to any type of equipment. I don't know how anyone could even draw a useful distinction between "robots" and other types of machinery for tax purposes.

eli_gottlieb 10y ago

>how are we supposed to live in this post work paradise if those with the means of production are replacing human workers with robots to extract more profit by sharing less with everyone else? We collectivize the means of production and run the robots ourselves.

samlevine 10y ago

Simple, robots with guns to prevent the humans from guns from takings your stuff.

edblarney 10y ago

Companies that innovate through automation would ostensibly make more profits - which are taxed. Companies pay taxes on labour - usually as a function of 'social security' and other things - a 'human' will engender social costs down the road into which taxes must be paid. In Canada - the only payroll tax is basically that - social security. Somewhat similarly in the US. On the continent - it's a little more. The reason that the government taxes labour (before income tax) is because: A) They can. And what gov. official doesn't want to get more tax revenue? B) It's an easy tay to hide huge income taxes. If the EU simply transferred all payroll taxes and simply rolled them into income taxes (which would be economically equivalent) - then income tax in most EU countries would be quite massive. Well over 60% in many cases. That doesn't 'seem' very competitive, does it. Also - when you get your paycheque today in France it has x% deducted - if there wasn't payroll tax then it would be much more deducted - and the 'emotinality' of it all would be much greater. Payroll taxes are a way to 'hide' high tax rates from the commoner. It would be more transparent if EU countries just did away with payroll taxes and put it as part of income tax - then we'd have a better picture of what is going on.