Re:Jeff Bezos comes out in support of increased corporate taxes
by lotsofpulp on Wednesday April 07, 2021 @05:56AM
(#26722570)
The government can make rules, but I don’t see why it has to do with how a company chooses to spend money. If the government wants more funds, then increase the taxes. Government can remove deductions for business expenses, raise tax rates, etc. But there’s no reason for government to tell a company what to do with its excess cash.
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Re:Jeff Bezos comes out in support of increased corporate taxes
by jessaustin on Wednesday April 07, 2021 @07:45AM
(#26723426)
The corporation is a creation of the state. The state has obligations to humans, not to corporations. If the lives of humans to whom the state is obligated would be improved by any number of onerous requirements imposed on corporations, the state certainly should impose those onerous requirements.
Of course, the idea that states are created for the benefit of humans is bullshit, but it's nice to dream of something better...
Re:Jeff Bezos comes out in support of increased corporate taxes
by lotsofpulp on Wednesday April 07, 2021 @07:53AM
(#26723502)
> If the lives of humans to whom the state is obligated would be improved by any number of onerous requirements imposed on corporations, the state certainly should impose those onerous requirements.
I agree with this. Which is why I wrote the state can choose to increase taxes. I have yet to be shown how requiring a company to pay dividends accomplishes the goal of improving the lives of humans.
Re:Jeff Bezos comes out in support of increased corporate taxes
by jessaustin on Wednesday April 07, 2021 @03:05PM
(#26729498)
Dividends are taxable, and they're often paid to entities that are unable to structure "profits" as carefully as the largest corporations can. So, in this discussion in which everyone (even Jeff B!) seems to agree that more taxes should be collected, dividend requirements would be a way to do that.
Of course, that's too tame. We'd be better off eliminating the most common forms of incorporation, or severely curtailing them e.g. maximum revenue limits. All the things that corporations can do, individuals, partnerships, mutual-benefit firms, etc. can also do, except often more carefully.