5 ms·

In countries like Poland prostitution is actually tax-free, because if government took any money from a prostitute it would act like a pimp, which is illegal.

by mamon 9y ago

In countries like Poland prostitution is actually tax-free, because if government took any money from a prostitute it would act like a pimp, which is illegal. Once upon a time it was the best excuse for those who had undisclosed income sources (other than prostitution). Recently tax offices started demanding proofs, like names of the clients.

joaomacp 9y ago
Always fun to hear about these cat and mouse games of government vs. people who want to avoid taxes :)
jwilk 9y ago
> Recently tax offices started demanding proofs, like names of the clients. Huh? That makes no sense. Why would naming a client proove anything? And why would sex workers know names of their clients?
- mamon 9y ago
  I think it is more about getting the client's testimony confirming the deed. And you're right, prostitution is a business based on discretion, so most of the time prostitute would not know the name of her client. Bottom line is: they stopped taking a word for it and started demanding proofs.
- jerf 9y ago
  Have you ever wondered why you have to provide receipts for reimbursement, despite the fact that the vast majority of people here could put together a forged receipt quite easily? It's not because the receipt proves anything. It's because if there was ever any question, it gives a validator something to actually validate, to call up the putative place of business and confirm the transaction and the size. It's one of those deals where the mere threat of being able to validate tends to keep the system humming along fairly well, even to the point that many of the participants have forgotten the justification for the system. Presumably there's someone out there routinely forging receipts for fun and profit but it must not be that big a fraud considered across the entire system. Same thing here.
- logfromblammo 9y ago
  That "John Smith" really makes the rounds, doesn't he?
thriftwy 9y ago
Why not take the money and hard redirect them to charity?

by mamon 9y ago

joaomacp 9y ago

Always fun to hear about these cat and mouse games of government vs. people who want to avoid taxes :)

jwilk 9y ago

> Recently tax offices started demanding proofs, like names of the clients. Huh? That makes no sense. Why would naming a client proove anything? And why would sex workers know names of their clients?

mamon 9y ago
I think it is more about getting the client's testimony confirming the deed. And you're right, prostitution is a business based on discretion, so most of the time prostitute would not know the name of her client. Bottom line is: they stopped taking a word for it and started demanding proofs.
jerf 9y ago
Have you ever wondered why you have to provide receipts for reimbursement, despite the fact that the vast majority of people here could put together a forged receipt quite easily? It's not because the receipt proves anything. It's because if there was ever any question, it gives a validator something to actually validate, to call up the putative place of business and confirm the transaction and the size. It's one of those deals where the mere threat of being able to validate tends to keep the system humming along fairly well, even to the point that many of the participants have forgotten the justification for the system. Presumably there's someone out there routinely forging receipts for fun and profit but it must not be that big a fraud considered across the entire system. Same thing here.
logfromblammo 9y ago
That "John Smith" really makes the rounds, doesn't he?

thriftwy 9y ago

Why not take the money and hard redirect them to charity?