Tani Coyote
Son of Huehuecoyotl
- Joined
- May 28, 2007
- Messages
- 15,191
Is tax avoidance morally reprehensible?
Tax evasion is outright refusing to pay taxes or falsifying your reports so you pay less than you legally have to; tax avoidance is taking advantage of deductions and whatnot to reduce the tax burden, but is perfectly legal.
This topic came up in the Questions thread and I spun it off to avoid spamming it:
My mother and father are very patriotic and my mother very pro-soldier due to her family's experiences. Supporting lower taxes =/= spitting on the troops.
That not even touching the issue of how there'd be no need for "spitting" if our government pulled its head out from its behind and cut spending.
Better idea to hunt down charities that aren't charitable; for example: no churches should be allowed to sponsor political activities and still hold tax-exempt status. The Mormon Church helped pass the gay marriage ban in California did it not? Time for some revisions of the tax code...
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So, is it morally reprehensible to cut your own tax burden provided it is legal?
Since I believe in a flat tax with standard deductions anyway, being able to get legally closer to it is just fine. Not to mention, it gives me more money to use. And given my limited resources, that extra 10 or 20 bucks is a lot to me.
Tax evasion is outright refusing to pay taxes or falsifying your reports so you pay less than you legally have to; tax avoidance is taking advantage of deductions and whatnot to reduce the tax burden, but is perfectly legal.
This topic came up in the Questions thread and I spun it off to avoid spamming it:
Me said:So my Dad posed a question the other day. I turn 18 before the end of the year, so my custodial account will become mine on the 24th of December.
He was curious if that means that if we quickly switch the account, I could tax my capital gains at my rate of 10% rather than his rate of 25%.
It sounds possible at first, but other sources say that if I'm not 18 when appreciated stocks are sold, it's taxed at his rate. So even when I file my taxes, all capital gains before I turned 18 will be 25%.
So which is it, if anyone knows? Could I possibly be able to cut my taxes, or will I still have to pay 25%? Either way I'm happy, though who complains about lower taxes?
And people wonder why the economies are in such a state when the wealthy are always looking for ways to avoid paying as much taxation as possible. I'm not blaming you, TF, but this happens in the UK as well.
I hardly think it's exclusive to the UK and USA; while some people are happy to pay taxes(fair share belief and all that), that doesn't change the fact many people would like to cut their tax burden. Especially if they disagree with progressive taxation, as my parents(and myself, sort of) do.
And we're hardly wealthy. Not poor by any measure of the word, but we have yet to own a private yacht or even a limo(only time we had a limo was for my sister's birthday party years ago).
Tax evasion is as bad as (if not worse than) benefit scroungers.
Tax evasion is illegal; tax avoidance is not. No moral issue with me with cutting the tax burden; outright evading it by not reporting income or otherwise falsifying your reports is.
Spitting on the armed forces is probably legal too - why don't you try doing that? Because that's exactly what you are doing...
My mother and father are very patriotic and my mother very pro-soldier due to her family's experiences. Supporting lower taxes =/= spitting on the troops.
That not even touching the issue of how there'd be no need for "spitting" if our government pulled its head out from its behind and cut spending.
Wow thats a ton of taxes that have not been collected. I don't know if its that high or higher here in the states but i do know we could save our government tons of money if we fix all the errors in the tax system here. I would also stop making all charitable contributions tax deductable. Or at least curb the amount that is deducted because its ridiculous how much a wealthy person can deduct if he tries.
Better idea to hunt down charities that aren't charitable; for example: no churches should be allowed to sponsor political activities and still hold tax-exempt status. The Mormon Church helped pass the gay marriage ban in California did it not? Time for some revisions of the tax code...
---
So, is it morally reprehensible to cut your own tax burden provided it is legal?
Since I believe in a flat tax with standard deductions anyway, being able to get legally closer to it is just fine. Not to mention, it gives me more money to use. And given my limited resources, that extra 10 or 20 bucks is a lot to me.