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After having done business in many other countries you begin to realise that certain countries have a love affair with needless bureaucracy; the US and it's fra

After having done business in many other countries you begin to realise that certain countries have a love affair with needless bureaucracy; the US and it's fragmented federation being one of them. Take Australia for example; even though it is a federation of states (and territories) like the US it has one uniform goods and sales tax that is consistent across the country. In fact states regularly come together to share best practice between legislation and administration in order to increase efficiencies within the country. Even road laws (which are a state matter in Australia) have been deliberately homogenised between states. Even countries like the UK with it's constituent nations and territories work hard at having a uniform and efficient system for businesses to do what they need to do. Saying "Just deal with it" is a cop out that will end up consigning your country to a worsening economic future. Tourists are already turned off from coming to the US because of the TSA issues. Having a "Just deal with it" attitude will also drive away business. This will lead to a worsening trade imbalance and the joys that come forthwith.

mjolk 13y ago
While this thread is bound to fill with anecdotes... > Tourists are already turned off from coming to the US because of the TSA issues. I'd love to agree with you, but there's that pesky reality that disagrees with your claim: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/a-record-year-for-new-york-tourism/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/a-record-year-f... >Even countries like the UK with it's constituent nations and territories work hard at having a uniform and efficient system for businesses to do what they need to do. Population UK: 63mm Population USA 310mm and support your claim that the territories work hard at having an efficient system for businesses. > Having a "Just deal with it" attitude will also drive away business. The paperwork really isn't hard. What makes you think that filling out some tax forms is keeping people from opening up shop in America?
- beagle3 13y ago
  > The paperwork really isn't hard. Yes, it is. Many of my friends are business owners, most of them have some international business. I've been in touch with a variety of tax professionals in different countries through the years. In the last 10 years or so, I've seen more than one business or partnership outside the US state in its charter that "shareholder may not be a US tax payer, and may not sell his shares to one, and will sell his shares to someone who is not if he becomes one", because of how complicated it makes things. If you think US paperwork is sane or is not hard, it is probably because you did not have enough exposure to it, or alternatively, not had exposure to a saner system. Objectively: US Federal Tax code is >71,000 pages (as of 2009 when I checked - probably longer now). And it applies to every american. NYS tax code is some 15,000 more pages; if you are doing significant business in NYS, that's about 10 times as many details to be aware of than in any other country that I'm aware of.
  - nitai 13y ago
    Spot on ;-)
beagle3 13y ago
I agree the US has this bureaucracy / uniquness fetish among states. But also, consider that Australia with 22M people compares with New York State, and is e.g. only 60% of the population of California. And inside a state, taxation is much more uniform. (New York State is a good example if YOUR point, as New York City, Yonkers and a couple other cities have additional weird taxes you have to be aware of)

mjolk 13y ago

While this thread is bound to fill with anecdotes... > Tourists are already turned off from coming to the US because of the TSA issues. I'd love to agree with you, but there's that pesky reality that disagrees with your claim: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/a-record-year-for-new-york-tourism/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/a-record-year-f... >Even countries like the UK with it's constituent nations and territories work hard at having a uniform and efficient system for businesses to do what they need to do. Population UK: 63mm Population USA 310mm and support your claim that the territories work hard at having an efficient system for businesses. > Having a "Just deal with it" attitude will also drive away business. The paperwork really isn't hard. What makes you think that filling out some tax forms is keeping people from opening up shop in America?

beagle3 13y ago
> The paperwork really isn't hard. Yes, it is. Many of my friends are business owners, most of them have some international business. I've been in touch with a variety of tax professionals in different countries through the years. In the last 10 years or so, I've seen more than one business or partnership outside the US state in its charter that "shareholder may not be a US tax payer, and may not sell his shares to one, and will sell his shares to someone who is not if he becomes one", because of how complicated it makes things. If you think US paperwork is sane or is not hard, it is probably because you did not have enough exposure to it, or alternatively, not had exposure to a saner system. Objectively: US Federal Tax code is >71,000 pages (as of 2009 when I checked - probably longer now). And it applies to every american. NYS tax code is some 15,000 more pages; if you are doing significant business in NYS, that's about 10 times as many details to be aware of than in any other country that I'm aware of.
- nitai 13y ago
  Spot on ;-)

beagle3 13y ago

I agree the US has this bureaucracy / uniquness fetish among states. But also, consider that Australia with 22M people compares with New York State, and is e.g. only 60% of the population of California. And inside a state, taxation is much more uniform. (New York State is a good example if YOUR point, as New York City, Yonkers and a couple other cities have additional weird taxes you have to be aware of)