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The article excludes the cost of import duty, and other taxes (see daedalus's comment). It is a false argument to say that if I didn't pay tax things could be c

The article excludes the cost of import duty, and other taxes (see daedalus's comment). It is a false argument to say that if I didn't pay tax things could be cheaper eg. if I break the law I can get a cheaper iPhone. Getting caught for breaking the law is a stochastic system, but the expected value is lower than most people think. Edit: How far are people willing to take this? Should we share an article saying someone got a free iPhone by buying a machine gun and stealing a truck full of iPhones? Where is the efficient frontier of breaking the law vs cheaper goods?

thysultan 6y ago
Taxation is theft!
- kzrdude 6y ago
  Depends on the legitimacy of government
- wow_yes 6y ago
  Property is theft from the commons - and here this is doubly untrue: the taxes are a reasonable level on a global mega-corporation with millions of people in near-slave conditions.
- me_me_me 6y ago
  Public road is a crime! what else... Free oxygen is communism!
  - thysultan 6y ago
    "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it"
- iso1631 6y ago
  In that case, you using any publicly funded service or good - including education, roads and defence, is theft.
  - thysultan 6y ago
    I'm stealing free protection afforded by the galactic empire to the galaxy i was born in if i don't pay the already free protection they offer. Freedom is theft!
iso1631 6y ago
I tried declaring a $3k server equipment once at Mumbai airport. Exceptionally difficult to pay the correct amount ($1k or so - it was 7 years ago so amount might be off) and get a receipt, they wanted me to pay $50.
- totalZero 6y ago
  $1k with the receipt, $50 without? Damn what kind of paper is that receipt printed on....
  - breitling 6y ago
    The "without receipt" payment is likely just pocketed by the agent.
demarq 6y ago
personal effects are non taxable across borders in most tax regimes so legally this is fine
- refurb 6y ago
  True, but they often put stipulations on it. I know for Singapore, you had to have owned the item for at least 3 months. Otherwise it was considered to be a new item imported and duty needed to be paid. I have no idea how that was actually enforced.
  - wastedhours 6y ago
    Same, I believe, for Switzerland - you need to have (and be able to demonstrate if asked) owned the item for a set period of time before entering.
    - Leherenn 6y ago
      6 months in Switzerland.
  - demarq 6y ago
    neither do they ;)
vladvasiliu 6y ago
I don't know what the actual rates are in India, but I remember some 10-15 years ago I bought a bunch of camera gear from the US because it was much cheaper than buying it locally in France. The delivery was via UPS or Fedex so they handled the customs. In the end, paying VAT and taxes (which were levied on the whole price, including shipping!) it was still cheaper than buying locally. One of the products was a heavy tripod and head. Another fun fact about this: the tripod was actually made in Italy by an Italian brand...
krageon 6y ago
Flying somewhere else to buy something is not paying tax, and it doesn't break the law.

thysultan 6y ago

Taxation is theft!

kzrdude 6y ago
Depends on the legitimacy of government
wow_yes 6y ago
Property is theft from the commons - and here this is doubly untrue: the taxes are a reasonable level on a global mega-corporation with millions of people in near-slave conditions.
me_me_me 6y ago
Public road is a crime! what else... Free oxygen is communism!
- thysultan 6y ago
  "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it"
iso1631 6y ago
In that case, you using any publicly funded service or good - including education, roads and defence, is theft.
- thysultan 6y ago
  I'm stealing free protection afforded by the galactic empire to the galaxy i was born in if i don't pay the already free protection they offer. Freedom is theft!

iso1631 6y ago

I tried declaring a $3k server equipment once at Mumbai airport. Exceptionally difficult to pay the correct amount ($1k or so - it was 7 years ago so amount might be off) and get a receipt, they wanted me to pay $50.

totalZero 6y ago
$1k with the receipt, $50 without? Damn what kind of paper is that receipt printed on....
- breitling 6y ago
  The "without receipt" payment is likely just pocketed by the agent.

demarq 6y ago

personal effects are non taxable across borders in most tax regimes so legally this is fine

refurb 6y ago
True, but they often put stipulations on it. I know for Singapore, you had to have owned the item for at least 3 months. Otherwise it was considered to be a new item imported and duty needed to be paid. I have no idea how that was actually enforced.
- wastedhours 6y ago
  Same, I believe, for Switzerland - you need to have (and be able to demonstrate if asked) owned the item for a set period of time before entering.
  - Leherenn 6y ago
    6 months in Switzerland.
- demarq 6y ago
  neither do they ;)

vladvasiliu 6y ago

I don't know what the actual rates are in India, but I remember some 10-15 years ago I bought a bunch of camera gear from the US because it was much cheaper than buying it locally in France. The delivery was via UPS or Fedex so they handled the customs. In the end, paying VAT and taxes (which were levied on the whole price, including shipping!) it was still cheaper than buying locally. One of the products was a heavy tripod and head. Another fun fact about this: the tripod was actually made in Italy by an Italian brand...

krageon 6y ago

Flying somewhere else to buy something is not paying tax, and it doesn't break the law.