I agree that taxes, just about everywhere, are uneven, unfair, and horribly misspent. I have an interest in fixing this. I think step one is to get everyone to feel the pain. Then we can have honest debate about what is fair and continue to adjust. At the moment, there are too many ways that some people simply don't pay. As long as this happens, there is not enough force to fix the problems. When I say there is not enough force, imagine if only 10%, in a certain tax situation, can afford to dodge the tax. It is most likely this 10% has more strength/wealth than the other 90% that do pay. In aggregate, they will use some of the gains they have made to apply a force to not change the structure which allows them to dodge the taxes. This is a problem of uneven strength. And it will continue as long as we allow the loopholes to exist.
Re:Farewell America
by run4yourlives on Wednesday September 02, 2009 @09:26PM
(#801544)
I would agree with your loophole assessment. The easiest way to close such a loophole is to simply shift from income taxes to consumption taxes. (i.e. VAT and the like)
Then, you get two (perhaps three) desired effects:
1. Loopholes don't exist. (or exist for everybody)
2. Adding more value is not punished, consumption is.
3. The last effect is that it may slow growth, which may or may not be desirable.
Canada doesn't pay for the costs of running the SEC.
That's an interesting point and I don't necessarily disagree. Of course if they followed that line, they wouldn't be killing American expatriates now would they?