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I would want to exchange peanuts and consequently owe no taxes. That is why the US has very complicated rules to discourage bartering and gives every sign it wo

by yakak 4y ago

I would want to exchange peanuts and consequently owe no taxes. That is why the US has very complicated rules to discourage bartering and gives every sign it would complicate and eventually outlaw quid-pro-quo family/friend arrangements for things like child and elder care if large and powerful groups of people weren't still extended family oriented.

elil17 4y ago
Genuinely curious here: has anyone actually proposed making family helping with childcare illegal (or perhaps taxed?) Even if it’s just an economist weirdo I’d be curious to see what the argument is there
- yakak 4y ago
  The exceptions in the rules here for example are almost certainly directly constructed by Congress or anger from Congress and not particularly consistent with how the IRS expands laws by expanding existing theories if left alone: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/family-caregivers-and-self-employment-tax https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employe...
  - bombcar 4y ago
    Most IRS rulings and much of tax law itself are to try to patch over loopholes that are being exploited (the very page describes the various checks they have in place).
bluetomcat 4y ago
> I would want to exchange peanuts and consequently owe no taxes. This idea is at odds with the concept of the modern nation state. You can't have running state institutions and an army that, in theory, should provide some level of security of the state borders. Having many groups of people, each exchanging peanuts, beans or stones would lead to a decreased level of trust and no concept of national unity.
- yakak 4y ago
  I don't get your point or you don't get mine. The individual individual's incentives are to have benefits without them being measurable income so Tax being about dollars makes dollars less desirable without many more actions from the state to force dollar measurable transactions.
- yellowapple 4y ago
  > This idea is at odds with the concept of the modern nation state. Good.

by yakak 4y ago

elil17 4y ago

Genuinely curious here: has anyone actually proposed making family helping with childcare illegal (or perhaps taxed?) Even if it’s just an economist weirdo I’d be curious to see what the argument is there

yakak 4y ago
The exceptions in the rules here for example are almost certainly directly constructed by Congress or anger from Congress and not particularly consistent with how the IRS expands laws by expanding existing theories if left alone: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/family-caregivers-and-self-employment-tax https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employe...
- bombcar 4y ago
  Most IRS rulings and much of tax law itself are to try to patch over loopholes that are being exploited (the very page describes the various checks they have in place).

bluetomcat 4y ago

> I would want to exchange peanuts and consequently owe no taxes. This idea is at odds with the concept of the modern nation state. You can't have running state institutions and an army that, in theory, should provide some level of security of the state borders. Having many groups of people, each exchanging peanuts, beans or stones would lead to a decreased level of trust and no concept of national unity.

yakak 4y ago
I don't get your point or you don't get mine. The individual individual's incentives are to have benefits without them being measurable income so Tax being about dollars makes dollars less desirable without many more actions from the state to force dollar measurable transactions.
yellowapple 4y ago
> This idea is at odds with the concept of the modern nation state. Good.