The Business Case Against Overseas Tax Havens

[dreamdancer 0]

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>they have a claim on what 'might' be 'their' money (how do we know
>the paper accounts aren't fraudulent).

Same way you know the digital accounts aren't fraudulent, I suppose.

these would be the digital accounts that the virus has already deleted.

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[kallend 2,148]

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The government believes if everyone paid what they owed, the IRS would collect $345 billion more

So the IRS isn't a reliable source on tax revenue matters. What have you been smoking?

Err, organizations have been known to fudge the numbers a bit to further their self interested agendas.

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The IRS methodology is clearly explained on the web site.

However, if you have a more accurate number why don't you write to the IRS and correct them?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[DiverMike 5]

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It's not that hard to find on the website. It's in Reducing the Federal Tax Gap.

Just so that no actual reading has to be done, it's on page 8 under "Tax Gap Estimates."

Thank you for posting this. Yes I eventually found it. My original observations were regarding the vaguely written NPR article that the Original Poster was talking about.

I was starting to feel attacked yesterday afternoon so I said "Fuck this", turned off my computer, and went skydiving. I had two great jumps.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[loumeinhart 0]

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these would be the digital accounts that the virus has already deleted.

Dude when you create the virus put happyface emoticons (like all your posts) up on the screen right before you delete the money. The accountants and big corp ceo's will be pissed!

[Bolas 5]

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As far as wealthy individuals go, if they are willing to renounce their US citizenship just for $$, I say good riddance and I hope they stay away.

+1. Those are also the kind that demand grants and/or exemptions to stay or move their offices to a place so they aren't paying their local share either.

Time to call their bluff.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[billvon 3,118]

>these would be the digital accounts that the virus has already deleted.

Correct. And the paper trail brings em back.

Contrary to what is portrayed in some popular fiction, banks do not keep actual money - or actual electrons - to track people's deposits. It's just a number they maintain. Doesn't much matter if it's on paper, on a hard drive or on a FLASH chip. If they lose that tracking, they revert to their backup, or their paper trail, or your paper trail.

In other words, creating such a virus would not cause anyone to lose any money. It would just make you a criminal.

[turtlespeed 226]

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>these would be the digital accounts that the virus has already deleted.

Correct. And the paper trail brings em back.

Contrary to what is portrayed in some popular fiction, banks do not keep actual money - or actual electrons - to track people's deposits. It's just a number they maintain. Doesn't much matter if it's on paper, on a hard drive or on a FLASH chip. If they lose that tracking, they revert to their backup, or their paper trail, or your paper trail.

In other words, creating such a virus would not cause anyone to lose any money. It would just make you a criminal.

So what we have learned so far in this excersize, is that Dreamdancer is in favor of criminal activity. Correct?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[billvon 3,118]

> is that Dreamdancer is in favor of criminal activity. Correct?

I think Dreamdancer is just fantasizing about easy ways to accomplish a goal. But there's an old saying: For every complex problem there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.

[Bolas 5]

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> is that Dreamdancer is in favor of criminal activity. Correct?

I think Dreamdancer is just fantasizing about easy ways to accomplish a goal. But there's an old saying: For every complex problem there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.

Things are only complex because we make them so.

So while there's no simple solutions to complex problems, if the problems are broken down to their base elements, they are generally simple and then a simple solution will work.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[dreamdancer 0]

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>these would be the digital accounts that the virus has already deleted.

Correct. And the paper trail brings em back.

Contrary to what is portrayed in some popular fiction, banks do not keep actual money - or actual electrons - to track people's deposits. It's just a number they maintain. Doesn't much matter if it's on paper, on a hard drive or on a FLASH chip. If they lose that tracking, they revert to their backup, or their paper trail, or your paper trail.

the virus will keep deleting that number so the tax haven is useless. the accounts could theoretically be continually reconstructed by a paper trail - but that's a pretty ineffective way to run a modern global bank

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[billvon 3,118]

> if the problems are broken down to their base elements, they are
>generally simple and then a simple solution will work.

A simple solution will work to solve the simple problem - but solving the simple problem generally won't solve the larger one, and often the simple solution is sorta painful to begin with. Most of our most vexing problems are the result of emergent or unexpected behavior due to the interaction of several simpler processes, and changing those processes often leads to even worse (or even more unexpected) results.

For example - overtaxation is a problem. Repealing taxes seems like a simple solution. It would also rapidly bankrupt us.

Lung cancer is a problem. Removing your lungs is a simple solution, but it wouldn't be all that pleasant for you.

Pollution from power plants is a problem. Cementing all their smokestacks closed would be a simple, cheap and neat solution. But we might not like the results.

Overseas tax havens can be a problem. Banning them in every way, shape and form sure seems like a simple solution. But given that the companies would just move overseas completely, it would make the underlying problem even worse.

[billvon 3,118]

>the virus will keep deleting that number so the tax haven is useless.

So they'll continue on paper (or more accurately isolated computer systems) while they arrest the person who attacked them.

>the accounts could theoretically be continually reconstructed by a paper
>trail - but that's a pretty ineffective way to run a modern global bank.

It worked for a few thousand years. It would be even easier with a locally networked, isolated computer system.

[kallend 2,148]

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> is that Dreamdancer is in favor of criminal activity. Correct?

I think Dreamdancer is just fantasizing about easy ways to accomplish a goal. But there's an old saying: For every complex problem there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.

Things are only complex because we make them so.

So while there's no simple solutions to complex problems, if the problems are broken down to their base elements, they are generally simple and then a simple solution will work.

There are any number of problems in math, physics and engineering whose base elements are simple but yet there is no solution.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[dreamdancer 0]

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>the virus will keep deleting that number so the tax haven is useless.

So they'll continue on paper (or more accurately isolated computer systems) while they arrest the person who attacked them.

>the accounts could theoretically be continually reconstructed by a paper
>trail - but that's a pretty ineffective way to run a modern global bank.

It worked for a few thousand years. It would be even easier with a locally networked, isolated computer system.

i don't see an individual building this virus - i suspect it will have a little bit of code attached to it that says 'made in china'

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[Bolas 5]

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often the simple solution is sorta painful to begin with.

Usually the right simple solution is not the easy one.

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For example - overtaxation is a problem. Repealing taxes seems like a simple solution. It would also rapidly bankrupt us.

Lung cancer is a problem. Removing your lungs is a simple solution, but it wouldn't be all that pleasant for you.

Pollution from power plants is a problem. Cementing all their smokestacks closed would be a simple, cheap and neat solution. But we might not like the results.

Overseas tax havens can be a problem. Banning them in every way, shape and form sure seems like a simple solution. But given that the companies would just move overseas completely, it would make the underlying problem even worse.

Agreed these aren't good solutions because the above examples have not been reduced to their base elements.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.