I would not consider taxes to be “punitive.” Taxes aren’t punishment. They are much more like a membership fee.

I think it's fine to view taxes that way, but we should also realize that to a business taxes are a cost to be minimized. No for-profit business willingly conducts their affairs to maximize taxes.

We live in a rules based system and the rules should be designed to incentivize the behaviors we want. Expecting any business to deviate from whats in their best interest is just... out of touch with reality.

Many public corporations want to (indirectly) maximize taxes. That's because taxes are levied on profits, and maximizing profits to increase share value is often a good thing.

What's good for America is good for General Motors.

That's been repeated ad nauseum and isn't relevant to this discussion. Parent was replying to someone who said "punitive".

Taxes are very often used as a punishment to modify people's behavior.

A mandatory membership fee.

It's not mandatory, you're free to move to Somalia and renounce your citizenship if you don't like having a government.

- They do have a governament, even if it doesn’t work.

- I’m not free to move anywhere I wasn’t invited nor is anyone paying my trip there.

All in all, death and taxes as they say.