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I think the IRS should use login.gov, but there is a legitimate argument for them not doing so (not that I consider their choice responsible). The argument is
by gumby 3y ago
I think the IRS should use login.gov, but there is a legitimate argument for them not doing so (not that I consider their choice responsible).
The argument is that for the tax system to work, collection should live in a silo: drug dealers should pay tax without fear of prosecution (except for tax evasion), etc. This is the same reason TSA (if its mission were to keep people safe) should not look for anything but threats: we don’t want drug smugglers to invest in concealment technology when they fly.
The downside of the IRS using login.gov is that it theoretically could make interagency data sharing easier. In practice, though, it would probably makes things more secure.
- nottorp 3y agoSo how many drug dealers actually pay tax in the US?
- jwie 3y agoThis is essentially the purpose of money laundering, so a lot.
- thfuran 3y agoNo, money laundering exists largely because we don't have that. They're talking about just declaring the income from selling drugs on tax filings.
- gumby 3y agoNon-IRS authorities (e.g. FINCEN) can also track the flow so in the US money laundering is more to thwart them, though lower taxes is a bonus.
- lupire 3y agojwie has the argument slightly wrong. Taxes are a side benefit of money laundering, which makes it unnecessary to report drug income directly for taxes. Money laundering's purpose is to fabricate proof of legal income, to divert suspicion from the observable existence of wealth that has no legal explanation.
- pizzafeelsright 3y agoSales tax, gas tax, etc. Just not income tax. The entire US tax system is broken. I'm sure we'll get a VAT or something worse. So much is broken I doubt we'll see a fix in our lifetime.
- reaperman 3y ago> In practice, though, it would probably makes things more secure. Given the third-party doctrine, a third party commercial entity provides no additional checks or balances under current legal frameworks or theoretical future ones.