4 ms·

How is following the law to a "T" morally or ethically wrong? Isn't the greater moral or ethical wrong here is how terribly convoluted the tax code is?

ceejayoz 12y ago
If I find a loophole in the law that allows me to murder someone without punishment, surely that's not moral or ethical, despite being legal?
- aidenn0 12y ago
  No, but there is an ethical duty to not commit murder, but there is no ethical duty to pay more taxes than the government asks for.
- joelrunyon 12y ago
  Funny enough - that exists [1] That said, murder & paying the least amount of taxes possible are slightly different scales of morality - don't you think? Should you be judged morally because you have a tax accountant maximize your tax refund every year or should you just pay as much as possible without regard to being fiscally responsible to your own self? [1]
  - lliwta 12y ago
    I'm sure it's not intentional, but you don't actually give a source. I'm not sure why I find the missing citation so funny (probably because the claim is pretty surprising), but I laughed really hard and up-voted you in case it was a joke and not a mistake.
    - tzs 12y ago
      He probably meant to link to something about the Yellowstone anomaly. The idea is you kill someone in the 50 square miles of Yellowstone National Park that is in the state of Idaho (most of Yellowstone is in the state of Wyoming). The Sixth Amendment says in a criminal trial the defendant has a right to a trial by a jury from the State and district where the crime was committed. The problem is that all of Yellowstone is in the District of Wyoming, including the 50 square miles that is in the State of Idaho. Hence, the jury must consist of people that are from that 50 square mile region of the park and state. The permanent population of that region is 0, and it is a part of the park that is rarely visited so the transient population is close to 0. No jury can be impaneled for your trial, and without a trial, you cannot be convicted.
      - lliwta 12y ago
        Thanks. That's hilarious. If I ever decide to kill a man, I guess I now know where :-)
      - deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
      - joelrunyon 12y ago
        Yup - sorry about - mind blank. Here's the link - http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in-a-section-of-yellowstone-and-get-away-scot http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in...
  - ceejayoz 12y ago
    > That said, murder & paying the least amount of taxes possible are slightly different scales of morality - don't you think? Certainly, which is why I wouldn't advocate the death penalty or life in prison for tax evasion/avoidance. > Should you be judged morally because you have a tax accountant maximize your tax refund every year... No, but I'm not asking them to engage in stuff like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement.
  - joelrunyon 12y ago
    http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in-a-section-of-yellowstone-and-get-away-scot http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in...

ceejayoz 12y ago

If I find a loophole in the law that allows me to murder someone without punishment, surely that's not moral or ethical, despite being legal?

aidenn0 12y ago
No, but there is an ethical duty to not commit murder, but there is no ethical duty to pay more taxes than the government asks for.
joelrunyon 12y ago
Funny enough - that exists [1] That said, murder & paying the least amount of taxes possible are slightly different scales of morality - don't you think? Should you be judged morally because you have a tax accountant maximize your tax refund every year or should you just pay as much as possible without regard to being fiscally responsible to your own self? [1]
- lliwta 12y ago
  I'm sure it's not intentional, but you don't actually give a source. I'm not sure why I find the missing citation so funny (probably because the claim is pretty surprising), but I laughed really hard and up-voted you in case it was a joke and not a mistake.
  - tzs 12y ago
    He probably meant to link to something about the Yellowstone anomaly. The idea is you kill someone in the 50 square miles of Yellowstone National Park that is in the state of Idaho (most of Yellowstone is in the state of Wyoming). The Sixth Amendment says in a criminal trial the defendant has a right to a trial by a jury from the State and district where the crime was committed. The problem is that all of Yellowstone is in the District of Wyoming, including the 50 square miles that is in the State of Idaho. Hence, the jury must consist of people that are from that 50 square mile region of the park and state. The permanent population of that region is 0, and it is a part of the park that is rarely visited so the transient population is close to 0. No jury can be impaneled for your trial, and without a trial, you cannot be convicted.
    - lliwta 12y ago
      Thanks. That's hilarious. If I ever decide to kill a man, I guess I now know where :-)
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
    - joelrunyon 12y ago
      Yup - sorry about - mind blank. Here's the link - http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in-a-section-of-yellowstone-and-get-away-scot http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in...
- ceejayoz 12y ago
  > That said, murder & paying the least amount of taxes possible are slightly different scales of morality - don't you think? Certainly, which is why I wouldn't advocate the death penalty or life in prison for tax evasion/avoidance. > Should you be judged morally because you have a tax accountant maximize your tax refund every year... No, but I'm not asking them to engage in stuff like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement.
- joelrunyon 12y ago
  http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in-a-section-of-yellowstone-and-get-away-scot http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in...