Does one have a moral duty to Pay tax?

[Marina]

.. Income Tax was introduced to fund the Napleonic Wars ..

So next year on your tax return in the "Net Income Tax payable" box just write "0 (Waterloo)"

[Jog On]

If there is a Legal Obgligation and you choose not to comply then there are legal penalites.

If there is a Moral Obligation and you choose not comply then - well then what ?

Apart from Legal Penalties - hence Legal Obligation - surely it is a question of legal rather than moral obligations - eg if it were moral then one would have a choice not to pay the portion of taxes that may fund an immoral War.

What he said. Why is it that people are so prepared to minimise their tax liability as much as possible?

It's not us that's the problem - we should want to pay more tax to the government, but we don't - why not?

We fully deserve our tax breaks - like we fully deserve our bench time, unpaid sick/holiday leave and business expenses. It's risk vs. reward - I'm sure we could all be permie civil servants if we chose to be but we don't

[AlfredJPruffock]

So next year on your tax return in the "Net Income Tax payable" box just write "0 (Waterloo)"

Aye Marina !

BTW thanks for your contribution to Friday's Poetry Corner - there was a time when many posters would contribute - sadly few these days.

Perhaps there is no place for the Friday Poetry Corner n this devil-take-the hindermost Modern World?

I expect one of these Polling types on the board will conduct a poll on the future of the Friday Poetry Corner .


The Dead Poets Society ?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I am quite happy to pay tax. I have a moral duty to my children to minimize what I pay.

Tax laws need to be simplified - will remove loopholes. Bring back Maggie!

Why bring her back - she increased taxes for most people and I didn't notice any reduction in scope or complexity either.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Perhaps this thread would be better renamds as to

'Is there a Moral Case for the State to enforce Income Taxation upon the individual without his consent ?'

[DodgyAgent]

The only morality issue that has any creedence in relation to tax revolves around what the state actually does with it. For too long we have been conned into believing that we somehow have some sort of moral duty to pay tax. What nonsense this is. We are spoofed into believing that tax goes to help the less fortunate than many of us whereas it actually goes first and foremost to enhacing the power and riches of those who dispose of it (jobs for labour voters). The tax is used to run istitutions that are run last and least for the benefit of those who need it.

We have a moral obligation to make it as hard as possible for govt to take money from us until these people learn to use the money for the benefit of those who need it above all else.

[AtW]

Except of course in the USSR itself where there was no possibiilty of strikes in that former worker's paradise.

Karashow Comrade ?

Quiet. There were (and still are) Trade Unions, however they were puppet organisations that never were striking because everything was for the workers anyway, supposedly so. It was the kind of Trade Union you were getting in Nazi Germany - just like youth organisations were effectively modelled on Hitler Youth.

You still can't pretty much strike right now in Russia - only if you work for a foreign employer like Ford (who are good employer anyway).

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Perhaps this thread would be better renamds as to

'Is there a Moral Case for the State to enforce Income Taxation upon the individual without his consent ?'

Indeed - but why stop there? After all, theft is just the ultimate extension of free enterprise. What right does the state have to tell me I can't steal things?

[BrilloPad]

The only morality issue that has any creedence in relation to tax revolves around what the state actually does with it. For too long we have been conned into believing that we somehow have some sort of moral duty to pay tax. What nonsense this is. We are spoofed into believing that tax goes to help the less fortunate than many of us whereas it actually goes first and foremost to enhacing the power and riches of those who dispose of it (jobs for labour voters). The tax is used to run istitutions that are run last and least for the benefit of those who need it.

We have a moral obligation to make it as hard as possible for govt to take money from us until these people learn to use the money for the benefit of those who need it above all else.

maybe I should have entitled this thread "Does one have a moral duty to Pay agents"?

[DodgyAgent]

maybe I should have entitled this thread "Does one have a moral duty to Pay agents"?