5 ms·

Maybe robots should pay taxes like humans since they are taking the jobs and the tax base that goes along with them.

by tacocataco 2y ago

exe34 2y ago
Or you could tax the companies on revenue, the way employees are.
- hnburnsy 2y ago
  Sure, if you enjoy higher prices or lower wages
LadyCailin 2y ago
That’s too hard to do. What is “a robot” and “a job?” Replacing workers is easy enough to calculate that with, but what if I start a brand new factory that only ever used robots? The solution is wealth tax and UBI. Get rid of regular income tax, then do a progressive wealth tax, which is enough to pay for a progressive UBI. This way, it’s no problem if you lay off all your workers to replace them with robots. In fact that’s great! Because now these people have a UBI, which frees them up to go find (or make) other work. Meanwhile the factory owner’s taxes should be going up, since his wealth is going up since he doesn’t have to pay all the workers, unless he’s still spending that money to further invest in things, which is also great. The biggest problem really is people just hoarding wealth. If they are spending or investing it, then that’s not a problem.
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  Very few people hoard wealth. You imagine wealthy people like Scrooge McDuck with a room full of gold coins. It's almost always invested in stocks which helps companies grow or in bonds which helps finance public works.
  - foobarbaz321 2y ago
    [dead]
  - phatfish 2y ago
    Pretty sure a diverse portfolio will feature gold. It might not be in gold coins in the owners basement though. Investing in stocks where most companies are doing their best to suppress worker compensation or out-right replace them with robots doesn't feel like it's doing much to help the average person either. Public investment is on a downward trend since 2008 when governments had to save the bankers. What government spending there still is often has to filter through private service companies that are given government contracts. This usually results in good dividends and bad service.
- rcstank 2y ago
  Many people on UBI would be content enough to not search for more work.
  - LadyCailin 2y ago
    So? UBI isn’t about making sure people aren’t lazy. It’s about making sure no one slips between the cracks, and can at least afford the basics.
  - int_19h 2y ago
    Good, because the whole point of taking automation to its logical conclusion is that there isn't more work for them.
- lotsoweiners 2y ago
  You need to start with no/little increase in taxes from corporations and see how that works. Previously unthought of loopholes will keep the status quo of low corporate tax payments. > The biggest problem really is people just hoarding wealth That is a pretty substantial problem and doesn’t seem close to the biggest one.

Maybe robots should pay taxes like humans since they are taking the jobs and the tax base that goes along with them.

exe34 2y ago

Or you could tax the companies on revenue, the way employees are.

hnburnsy 2y ago
Sure, if you enjoy higher prices or lower wages

LadyCailin 2y ago

That’s too hard to do. What is “a robot” and “a job?” Replacing workers is easy enough to calculate that with, but what if I start a brand new factory that only ever used robots? The solution is wealth tax and UBI. Get rid of regular income tax, then do a progressive wealth tax, which is enough to pay for a progressive UBI. This way, it’s no problem if you lay off all your workers to replace them with robots. In fact that’s great! Because now these people have a UBI, which frees them up to go find (or make) other work. Meanwhile the factory owner’s taxes should be going up, since his wealth is going up since he doesn’t have to pay all the workers, unless he’s still spending that money to further invest in things, which is also great. The biggest problem really is people just hoarding wealth. If they are spending or investing it, then that’s not a problem.

SoftTalker 2y ago
Very few people hoard wealth. You imagine wealthy people like Scrooge McDuck with a room full of gold coins. It's almost always invested in stocks which helps companies grow or in bonds which helps finance public works.
- foobarbaz321 2y ago
  [dead]
- phatfish 2y ago
  Pretty sure a diverse portfolio will feature gold. It might not be in gold coins in the owners basement though. Investing in stocks where most companies are doing their best to suppress worker compensation or out-right replace them with robots doesn't feel like it's doing much to help the average person either. Public investment is on a downward trend since 2008 when governments had to save the bankers. What government spending there still is often has to filter through private service companies that are given government contracts. This usually results in good dividends and bad service.
rcstank 2y ago
Many people on UBI would be content enough to not search for more work.
- LadyCailin 2y ago
  So? UBI isn’t about making sure people aren’t lazy. It’s about making sure no one slips between the cracks, and can at least afford the basics.
- int_19h 2y ago
  Good, because the whole point of taking automation to its logical conclusion is that there isn't more work for them.
lotsoweiners 2y ago
You need to start with no/little increase in taxes from corporations and see how that works. Previously unthought of loopholes will keep the status quo of low corporate tax payments. > The biggest problem really is people just hoarding wealth That is a pretty substantial problem and doesn’t seem close to the biggest one.