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I think that if there’s no legitimate business purpose to a particular business activity other than avoiding taxes, it qualifies as tax evasion. If that’s not i

I think that if there’s no legitimate business purpose to a particular business activity other than avoiding taxes, it qualifies as tax evasion. If that’s not illegal in your particular jurisdiction, that just means you have legalized tax evasion.

deleted 7y ago
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TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
I understand what you’re trying to say here. And there’s an argument to be made in the other direction too: everyone should be doing everything they legally can, and where it makes financial sense to exert the effort, to avoid paying any more tax than they have to... because giving money and power to politicians is like giving whisky and car keys to teenage boys.
- asveikau 7y ago
  > And there’s an argument to be made in the other direction too: everyone should be doing everything they legally can, and where it makes financial sense to exert the effort, to avoid paying any more tax than they have to... I hear this a lot and I kind of disagree with the sentiment. I think it's rooted in petty selfishness. If you have enough money, as these companies surely do, good for you, ok. The attitude that sees any additional proceeds as wasted if they "needlessly" go to governments where it gasp might give other people useful public services ... Seems to have priorities in the wrong place. One must have proper perspective when you see financial success. Petty greed over small percentages of huge incomes is not the way to go. There is value in seeing how lucky you are and being happy with what you have, then subsequently seeing your role in our social system as paying some of that back.
  - Sabinus 7y ago
    Apparently some firms used to be like that. Benevolent societies rather than money making machines. Then globalisation happened and those companies were competed out of the market by aggressive multinationals or low wage countries.

deleted 7y ago

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TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago

I understand what you’re trying to say here. And there’s an argument to be made in the other direction too: everyone should be doing everything they legally can, and where it makes financial sense to exert the effort, to avoid paying any more tax than they have to... because giving money and power to politicians is like giving whisky and car keys to teenage boys.

asveikau 7y ago
> And there’s an argument to be made in the other direction too: everyone should be doing everything they legally can, and where it makes financial sense to exert the effort, to avoid paying any more tax than they have to... I hear this a lot and I kind of disagree with the sentiment. I think it's rooted in petty selfishness. If you have enough money, as these companies surely do, good for you, ok. The attitude that sees any additional proceeds as wasted if they "needlessly" go to governments where it gasp might give other people useful public services ... Seems to have priorities in the wrong place. One must have proper perspective when you see financial success. Petty greed over small percentages of huge incomes is not the way to go. There is value in seeing how lucky you are and being happy with what you have, then subsequently seeing your role in our social system as paying some of that back.
- Sabinus 7y ago
  Apparently some firms used to be like that. Benevolent societies rather than money making machines. Then globalisation happened and those companies were competed out of the market by aggressive multinationals or low wage countries.