If you're going to talk about taxes, make sure you don't sound stupid.

[SwimExpert]

Too much is being made of this idea of people "taking advantage" of the tax code. Let's be clear about something. People only "take advantage" of the tax code if they are using dirty tricks to commit some kind of fraud.

If the law says you don't owe any taxes, then the law says you don't owe any taxes. Taking deductions is not "taking advantage" of the tax code. It's the tax code that defines what goes into your AGI, and it's the tax code that defines deductible expenses, and it's the tax code that defines credits, so on and so forth. We can't blame an individual because of how the tax laws apply to them. The biggest problem is that saying such people are "taking advantage" implies that we only have secondary rights to our own income. It implies that all money belongs to the government and only becomes ours after the government graciously refrains from taxing it away.

If you think the tax law needs to be changed, then that is one thing. But to place that blame on individuals who don't owe as much taxes as you want them to owe is foolishness.

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

Too much is being made of this idea of people "taking advantage" of the tax code. Let's be clear about something. People only "take advantage" of the tax code if they are using dirty tricks to commit some kind of fraud.

If the law says you don't owe any taxes, then the law says you don't owe any taxes. Taking deductions is not "taking advantage" of the tax code. It's the tax code that defines what goes into your AGI, and it's the tax code that defines deductible expenses, and it's the tax code that defines credits, so on and so forth. We can't blame an individual because of how the tax laws apply to them. The biggest problem is that saying such people are "taking advantage" implies that we only have secondary rights to our own income. It implies that all money belongs to the government and only becomes our after the government graciously refrains from taxing it away.

If you think the tax law needs to be changed, then that is one thing. But to place that blame on individuals who don't owe as much taxes as you want them to owe is foolishness.

I hate you!

Note:

I agree with the op'er and that is why I hate them!

 

[Disir]

Peshawww............don't kid yourself. They don't give a damn about changing the law that might hurt some of their good buddies.

 

[kaz]

Too much is being made of this idea of people "taking advantage" of the tax code. Let's be clear about something. People only "take advantage" of the tax code if they are using dirty tricks to commit some kind of fraud.

If the law says you don't owe any taxes, then the law says you don't owe any taxes. Taking deductions is not "taking advantage" of the tax code. It's the tax code that defines what goes into your AGI, and it's the tax code that defines deductible expenses, and it's the tax code that defines credits, so on and so forth. We can't blame an individual because of how the tax laws apply to them. The biggest problem is that saying such people are "taking advantage" implies that we only have secondary rights to our own income. It implies that all money belongs to the government and only becomes our after the government graciously refrains from taxing it away.

If you think the tax law needs to be changed, then that is one thing. But to place that blame on individuals who don't owe as much taxes as you want them to owe is foolishness.

Great post. And of course it's the left that want this monstrosity of a tax system they turn around and criticize Republicans for while being silent on people like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, liberals who manipulate the code for their own benefit. And the endless list of Democrat politicians who outright cheat on their taxes. Daschle, Rangle, Geithner, William Jefferson, Baird, the Clintons ...

 

[kaz]

Peshawww............don't kid yourself. They don't give a damn about changing the law that might hurt some of their good buddies.

Who are you referring to? You know it's the left who dig in their heels at any suggestion of changing or flattening the system

 

[Disir]

Peshawww............don't kid yourself. They don't give a damn about changing the law that might hurt some of their good buddies.

Who are you referring to? You know it's the left who dig in their heels at any suggestion of changing or flattening the system

It's all about progressive taxes for me but not for the Democrat buddies.

 

[kaz]

Peshawww............don't kid yourself. They don't give a damn about changing the law that might hurt some of their good buddies.

Who are you referring to? You know it's the left who dig in their heels at any suggestion of changing or flattening the system

It's all about progressive taxes for me but not for the Democrat buddies.

Can you be a little clearer? I have a vague idea of what you're saying but I'm not really clear and I'm just guessing. Are you saying you want progressive taxes but no write-offs?

 

[whitehall]

Don't sound stupid? Look at yourself. Do you realize that there are corporations of tax lawyers and accountants who make ant living by taking advantage of "loopholes" in the freaking tax code? You almost gotta laugh at the idiots who criticize Americans for engaging in "dirty tricks" when they hire a tax attorney or accountant while they apparently see nothing wrong with the freaking president using the IRS to punish political enemies.

 

[kaz]

Don't sound stupid? Look at yourself. Do you realize that there are corporations of tax lawyers and accountants who make ant living by taking advantage of "loopholes" in the freaking tax code? You almost gotta laugh at the idiots who criticize Americans for engaging in "dirty tricks" when they hire a tax attorney or accountant while they apparently see nothing wrong with the freaking president using the IRS to punish political enemies.

Yes, it's a cluster how the tax code is so complicated we spend so much of our economy counting them, minimizing them, doing complicated deals to elude them, forcing money to remain offshore with punitive taxes to repatriate it.

Imagine if all the wasted economic effort was put into just growing business and our economy? What a game changer the Fair Tax would be

 

[Disir]

Peshawww............don't kid yourself. They don't give a damn about changing the law that might hurt some of their good buddies.

Who are you referring to? You know it's the left who dig in their heels at any suggestion of changing or flattening the system

It's all about progressive taxes for me but not for the Democrat buddies.

Can you be a little clearer? I have a vague idea of what you're saying but I'm not really clear and I'm just guessing. Are you saying you want progressive taxes but no write-offs?

Close the loophole.

 

[kaz]

Peshawww............don't kid yourself. They don't give a damn about changing the law that might hurt some of their good buddies.

Who are you referring to? You know it's the left who dig in their heels at any suggestion of changing or flattening the system

It's all about progressive taxes for me but not for the Democrat buddies.

Can you be a little clearer? I have a vague idea of what you're saying but I'm not really clear and I'm just guessing. Are you saying you want progressive taxes but no write-offs?

Close the loophole.

Which loophole?

 

[SwimExpert]

Don't sound stupid? Look at yourself. Do you realize that there are corporations of tax lawyers and accountants who make ant living by taking advantage of "loopholes" in the freaking tax code? You almost gotta laugh at the idiots who criticize Americans for engaging in "dirty tricks" when they hire a tax attorney or accountant while they apparently see nothing wrong with the freaking president using the IRS to punish political enemies.

I'm sorry, did you have a point. I see your hissy fit, but you don't seem to have anything cognizant to offer. If someone hires an attorney to do their taxes, then all they are doing is paying an expert to fill out their paperwork and determine how much they actually owe. How is that any different than hiring a lawyer to make sure that your HR procedures are in compliance with the law, or that your contracts are legally binding, etc? How is that any different than hiring a consultant to make sure that your operating procedures are consistent with basic safety procedures?

Again, the law decides how much you owe. Don't blame people for what they owe (or don't owe). What the law says someone owes is not the fault of the taxpayer. As long as they aren't committing some kind of fraud, then they've done nothing wrong.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Too much is being made of this idea of people "taking advantage" of the tax code. Let's be clear about something. People only "take advantage" of the tax code if they are using dirty tricks to commit some kind of fraud.

If the law says you don't owe any taxes, then the law says you don't owe any taxes. Taking deductions is not "taking advantage" of the tax code. It's the tax code that defines what goes into your AGI, and it's the tax code that defines deductible expenses, and it's the tax code that defines credits, so on and so forth. We can't blame an individual because of how the tax laws apply to them. The biggest problem is that saying such people are "taking advantage" implies that we only have secondary rights to our own income. It implies that all money belongs to the government and only becomes ours after the government graciously refrains from taxing it away.

If you think the tax law needs to be changed, then that is one thing. But to place that blame on individuals who don't owe as much taxes as you want them to owe is foolishness.

Do you think the people here attacking Hillary Clinton about contributions will pay any attention to you?

 

[SwimExpert]

Too much is being made of this idea of people "taking advantage" of the tax code. Let's be clear about something. People only "take advantage" of the tax code if they are using dirty tricks to commit some kind of fraud.

If the law says you don't owe any taxes, then the law says you don't owe any taxes. Taking deductions is not "taking advantage" of the tax code. It's the tax code that defines what goes into your AGI, and it's the tax code that defines deductible expenses, and it's the tax code that defines credits, so on and so forth. We can't blame an individual because of how the tax laws apply to them. The biggest problem is that saying such people are "taking advantage" implies that we only have secondary rights to our own income. It implies that all money belongs to the government and only becomes ours after the government graciously refrains from taxing it away.

If you think the tax law needs to be changed, then that is one thing. But to place that blame on individuals who don't owe as much taxes as you want them to owe is foolishness.

Do you think the people here attacking Hillary Clinton about contributions will pay any attention to you?

Truth is truth, regardless of morons ignoring it.