5 ms·

Nothing in the article seems too bad and they recovered several times their budget from fraud. It's good that they use technology effectively though. But the r

Nothing in the article seems too bad and they recovered several times their budget from fraud. It's good that they use technology effectively though. But the real question is why they don't do the same for tax evasion?

short_sells_poo 4y ago
Because with welfare your "adversaries" are people in dire situation who won't be able to fight back much. Tax evasion will generally run up against well informed and heavily lawyered entities (people or corporations). Alternatively, it will again degenerate to destroying the lives of small time tax dodgers.
dsfyu404ed 4y ago
>But the real question is why they don't do the same for tax evasion? Because "taxpayers" are a big enough demographic that you can't just kick them in the dick without consequence. Welfare recipients are a smaller and poorer demographic so the state can abuse them with invasive policy with less blow-back.
bow_ 4y ago
> But the real question is why they don't do the same for tax evasion? Who says they don't? If I had to guess, I would say the magnitude of the problem is just more complex. The tax system is more complicated and impacts more people. They did attempt to change the law to give the tax agency more similar powers[1]. Last I checked, it was rejected due to public outcry[2]. I do not expect this to be the last attempt. -- [1] https://kammeradvokaten.dk/nyheder/nyt-lovforslag-kunstig-intelligens-skal-bekaempe-skattesvig https://kammeradvokaten.dk/nyheder/nyt-lovforslag-kunstig-in... [2] https://pro.ing.dk/datatech/artikel/efter-massiv-kritik-minister-afviser-aendre-ny-lov-om-ml-i-skat https://pro.ing.dk/datatech/artikel/efter-massiv-kritik-mini...
- ceejayoz 4y ago
  > Who says they don't? Here in the US, they don't. https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-sorry-but-its-just-easier-and-cheaper-to-audit-the-poor https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-sorry-but-its-just-ea... "Congress asked the IRS to report on why it audits the poor more than the affluent. Its response is that it doesn’t have enough money and people to audit the wealthy properly. So it’s not going to."
  - salawat 4y ago
    And even if given that money, what have they singled out? They bumped down financial institution income reporting down to $600. Going after low earners instead of going after the affluent.
luckylion 4y ago
They do, but probably not the same data, because taxes aren't really affected by you traveling somewhere, and they might owe you money if they figure out you're married and just forgot to tell them. The other thing is of course that you don't want to piss off the people who give you money, while you don't worry too much about pissing off the people who take money from you. If you drive those away who give you money, you have less money. If you drive those taking money away, you have more money. https://skat.dk/data.aspx?oid=2303874&lang=de https://skat.dk/data.aspx?oid=2303874&lang=de
dfxm12 4y ago
Because it's not about fraud per se, it's about punishing a specific class of people. We see this in the US, too. Conservative politicians who are also trying to cut down welfare, but maybe not through such extreme means, are also very much against a recent expansion of the IRS (the US' tax enforcement group).

short_sells_poo 4y ago

Because with welfare your "adversaries" are people in dire situation who won't be able to fight back much. Tax evasion will generally run up against well informed and heavily lawyered entities (people or corporations). Alternatively, it will again degenerate to destroying the lives of small time tax dodgers.

dsfyu404ed 4y ago

>But the real question is why they don't do the same for tax evasion? Because "taxpayers" are a big enough demographic that you can't just kick them in the dick without consequence. Welfare recipients are a smaller and poorer demographic so the state can abuse them with invasive policy with less blow-back.

bow_ 4y ago

> But the real question is why they don't do the same for tax evasion? Who says they don't? If I had to guess, I would say the magnitude of the problem is just more complex. The tax system is more complicated and impacts more people. They did attempt to change the law to give the tax agency more similar powers[1]. Last I checked, it was rejected due to public outcry[2]. I do not expect this to be the last attempt. -- [1] https://kammeradvokaten.dk/nyheder/nyt-lovforslag-kunstig-intelligens-skal-bekaempe-skattesvig https://kammeradvokaten.dk/nyheder/nyt-lovforslag-kunstig-in... [2] https://pro.ing.dk/datatech/artikel/efter-massiv-kritik-minister-afviser-aendre-ny-lov-om-ml-i-skat https://pro.ing.dk/datatech/artikel/efter-massiv-kritik-mini...

ceejayoz 4y ago
> Who says they don't? Here in the US, they don't. https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-sorry-but-its-just-easier-and-cheaper-to-audit-the-poor https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-sorry-but-its-just-ea... "Congress asked the IRS to report on why it audits the poor more than the affluent. Its response is that it doesn’t have enough money and people to audit the wealthy properly. So it’s not going to."
- salawat 4y ago
  And even if given that money, what have they singled out? They bumped down financial institution income reporting down to $600. Going after low earners instead of going after the affluent.

luckylion 4y ago

They do, but probably not the same data, because taxes aren't really affected by you traveling somewhere, and they might owe you money if they figure out you're married and just forgot to tell them. The other thing is of course that you don't want to piss off the people who give you money, while you don't worry too much about pissing off the people who take money from you. If you drive those away who give you money, you have less money. If you drive those taking money away, you have more money. https://skat.dk/data.aspx?oid=2303874&lang=de https://skat.dk/data.aspx?oid=2303874&lang=de

dfxm12 4y ago

Because it's not about fraud per se, it's about punishing a specific class of people. We see this in the US, too. Conservative politicians who are also trying to cut down welfare, but maybe not through such extreme means, are also very much against a recent expansion of the IRS (the US' tax enforcement group).