News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Show HN: Effects of House and Senate Bill on California R... by rayiner on Thursday December 07, 2017 @02:50AM (#15868421)
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. If you’re not giving out waivers to those with the need, then you’re actually treating the waiver as part of the compensation for being a graduate assistant, and it should be taxed.
Re:Show HN: Effects of House and Senate Bill on California R... by learc83 on Thursday December 07, 2017 @11:45AM (#15871568)
You're arguing in circles. I know it's compensation, and I'm not the one who proposed we make it need based. I'm pointing out why your solution wouldn't work.

>it should be taxed

We tax what we want to tax, and we offer deductions to encourage behavior that we think is beneficial. Scholarship income used for tuition isn't taxed. We tax capital gains differently from ordinary income. We offer mortgage interest deductions.

Should is subjective. There is no inherent reason to tax tuition waivers the same as employment income, apart from that's the way the IRS does it now (absent this specific deduction).