5 ms·

I can't believe we dedicate law enforcement resources to policing what amounts to a global tax avoidance marketplace.

by politician 5y ago

vernie 5y ago
You make it sound pretty appealing.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
vorpalhex 5y ago
That seems like the right thing to dedicate law enforcement resources to.
- Tostino 5y ago
  If they were putting their resources into actually stopping the tax avoidance, but instead they are put into going after those who scam the people trying to avoid taxes.
  - gambiting 5y ago
    It's not a zero sum game. Not everyone who is an FBI agent can be a lawyer or a lawmaker.
    - Tostino 5y ago
      I've had a number of things stolen over the years, but somehow there isn't a whole lot of resources put into it. Strange how that works. Why should these people get preferential treatment with an entire department dedicated to tracking those who may try and defraud them when running their tax avoidance scheme?
      - gambiting 5y ago
        No they shouldn't, but again, this isn't a zero sum game - FBI is a federal agency, while your local law enforcement is a state or even just a city specific department. If we took all money away from FBI or closed their art fraud department, it would have made zero difference to your local law enforcement. But yes I agree it's not fair.
        pydry 5y ago
        Your local law enforcement is as likely to pull you over and confiscate any cash you've got in the car on the basis that it may have committed a crime. Feels a bit like it is a zero sum game to me.
- sneak 5y ago
  That presupposes that maximizing tax revenue is a net good for society.
  - Tostino 5y ago
    You are simply arguing for those with the most capital to have a tax loophole unavailable to others.
- pibechorro 5y ago
  Or we can just stop taxing that front of the economy, let it operate in the open legally instead od driving it underground, and save our tax dollars for policing which actually improves our daily life, like burglery, murders, etc. What is the last time the cops ever returned a stolen bicycle? Spending millions to chase tax money is just the machine feeding itself. No one is harmed when a Picasso changes hands without a percentage being handed to the local burocracy. Last I checked we still have rampant crime in all the inner cities the world over. Fix that first.
auntienomen 5y ago
OP username checks out.
dapids 5y ago
username checks out
tediousdemise 5y ago
How else do you expect LEO to get paid? They want some of that sweet tax avoidance revenue too! Jokes aside, taxes are an awesome social construct that should fund many essential things that citizens need such as a stable infrastructure, utilities, healthcare, public education, etc. The problem is that you can't really choose how you want your taxes to be spent, since the popular thing is to elect someone else to (mis)manage the taxes for you. Government mismanagement and corruption is pervasive at all levels - city, state and federal. I live in a high COL area with high taxes, yet the roads, schools, and other publicly funded things are trash. It's crystal clear that the money I pay in taxes is not being spent appropriately, so it's no wonder people try to avoid paying taxes altogether. We need an elective tax system that lets you choose where you want the tax money to be funneled. For a simple and naïve example, say you have a flat 20% federal tax, that lets you pick which public institutions you want the funds to be delivered to. Maybe 5% to NASA, 5% to veterans, and the remaining 10% could be left up to the government to decide. This would be an example of "voting with your wallet," but it's just a fantasy. The government will never give that kind of power to us. So to this I say, just keep paying your taxes like the model citizen that you are, and don't question it! I hope you have fun paying the government forever on any private property or income that you have, since you have no choice. It's not your fault that you don't have a choice either, since it was robbed from you. You were born into circumstance. Almost all land on earth has been claimed by governments or private entities, so you have no where left to turn. Just by virtue of being alive, you owe the government overlords for all of your creature comforts: the water you drink, the land you live on, the food you eat, the hole you shit in, and so much more. They will steal your labor in exchange for pieces of paper that will ultimately find their way right back to them.
- space_fountain 5y ago
  It sounds like what you are describing are just donations. Since taxes need to be redistributive donations are a difficult way to make society work. Some people are selfish
  - tediousdemise 5y ago
    Yeah, that's why I think making part of the taxes non-electable could be a solid choice. That way, you can still give the government some autonomy for spending, just not all of it (because from my jaded perspective, governments aren't the best at decision making or execution).

I can't believe we dedicate law enforcement resources to policing what amounts to a global tax avoidance marketplace.

vernie 5y ago

You make it sound pretty appealing.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

vorpalhex 5y ago

That seems like the right thing to dedicate law enforcement resources to.

Tostino 5y ago
If they were putting their resources into actually stopping the tax avoidance, but instead they are put into going after those who scam the people trying to avoid taxes.
- gambiting 5y ago
  It's not a zero sum game. Not everyone who is an FBI agent can be a lawyer or a lawmaker.
  - Tostino 5y ago
    I've had a number of things stolen over the years, but somehow there isn't a whole lot of resources put into it. Strange how that works. Why should these people get preferential treatment with an entire department dedicated to tracking those who may try and defraud them when running their tax avoidance scheme?
    - gambiting 5y ago
      No they shouldn't, but again, this isn't a zero sum game - FBI is a federal agency, while your local law enforcement is a state or even just a city specific department. If we took all money away from FBI or closed their art fraud department, it would have made zero difference to your local law enforcement. But yes I agree it's not fair.
      - pydry 5y ago
        Your local law enforcement is as likely to pull you over and confiscate any cash you've got in the car on the basis that it may have committed a crime. Feels a bit like it is a zero sum game to me.
sneak 5y ago
That presupposes that maximizing tax revenue is a net good for society.
- Tostino 5y ago
  You are simply arguing for those with the most capital to have a tax loophole unavailable to others.
pibechorro 5y ago
Or we can just stop taxing that front of the economy, let it operate in the open legally instead od driving it underground, and save our tax dollars for policing which actually improves our daily life, like burglery, murders, etc. What is the last time the cops ever returned a stolen bicycle? Spending millions to chase tax money is just the machine feeding itself. No one is harmed when a Picasso changes hands without a percentage being handed to the local burocracy. Last I checked we still have rampant crime in all the inner cities the world over. Fix that first.

auntienomen 5y ago

OP username checks out.

dapids 5y ago

username checks out

tediousdemise 5y ago

How else do you expect LEO to get paid? They want some of that sweet tax avoidance revenue too! Jokes aside, taxes are an awesome social construct that should fund many essential things that citizens need such as a stable infrastructure, utilities, healthcare, public education, etc. The problem is that you can't really choose how you want your taxes to be spent, since the popular thing is to elect someone else to (mis)manage the taxes for you. Government mismanagement and corruption is pervasive at all levels - city, state and federal. I live in a high COL area with high taxes, yet the roads, schools, and other publicly funded things are trash. It's crystal clear that the money I pay in taxes is not being spent appropriately, so it's no wonder people try to avoid paying taxes altogether. We need an elective tax system that lets you choose where you want the tax money to be funneled. For a simple and naïve example, say you have a flat 20% federal tax, that lets you pick which public institutions you want the funds to be delivered to. Maybe 5% to NASA, 5% to veterans, and the remaining 10% could be left up to the government to decide. This would be an example of "voting with your wallet," but it's just a fantasy. The government will never give that kind of power to us. So to this I say, just keep paying your taxes like the model citizen that you are, and don't question it! I hope you have fun paying the government forever on any private property or income that you have, since you have no choice. It's not your fault that you don't have a choice either, since it was robbed from you. You were born into circumstance. Almost all land on earth has been claimed by governments or private entities, so you have no where left to turn. Just by virtue of being alive, you owe the government overlords for all of your creature comforts: the water you drink, the land you live on, the food you eat, the hole you shit in, and so much more. They will steal your labor in exchange for pieces of paper that will ultimately find their way right back to them.

space_fountain 5y ago
It sounds like what you are describing are just donations. Since taxes need to be redistributive donations are a difficult way to make society work. Some people are selfish
- tediousdemise 5y ago
  Yeah, that's why I think making part of the taxes non-electable could be a solid choice. That way, you can still give the government some autonomy for spending, just not all of it (because from my jaded perspective, governments aren't the best at decision making or execution).