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Warren Buffet has frequently said that he is perfectly willing to pay more taxes, and that his secretary pays a higher percentage of her income than he does. Th

Warren Buffet has frequently said that he is perfectly willing to pay more taxes, and that his secretary pays a higher percentage of her income than he does. There are numerous reasons for government inefficiency, but how could you run efficiently if there is always a target on your budget's back? EDIT: You are absolutely right that the government spends money on stuff that I don't want, like bombs and wars, and I think it is extraordinarily generous that men like this give so very much to charity. However, I also believe that if we as a society have decided that there should be an estate tax, then there should be an estate tax and that the loophole should be closed.

breischl 13y ago
The IRS does accept voluntary donations, but despite the rhetoric Mr Buffett has not actually given more to the government than he has to. So I'm a little skeptical of his claims. Also, part of the reason his secretary pays more is because he has gone out of his way to avoid paying taxes (euphemistically, to structure his businesses in a tax-efficient manner). I'm not arguing that there shouldn't be an estate tax, or that people shouldn't pay it. Just that I fully understand why they try to avoid it. I would probably do the same thing in their situation, and I suspect many others would as well.
- swalkergibson 13y ago
  You are right. They are acting economically rationally, but that does not mean that they are playing fair. That is why I am so viscerally opposed to the Byzantine nature of the US tax code and the inability of our lawmakers to level the playing field.