Was your analogy about personal taxes or corporate taxes? Corporations can indeed move to other countries to get cheaper labor and lower taxes. I think that that's less true for people. I know that Sweden and Britain had wealthy, successful "tax exiles", but I haven't heard of anyone leaving the US to reduce their taxes. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are still here.
So, your argument that people could "stop showing up" applies well to corporate taxes, but it sounded like you were referring to personal taxes.
Actually, there are quite a few "tax exiles." Other than Marc Rich, I don't recall any names, but Forbes magazine runs an article on the topic every year.
Individuals, just as easily as corporations can "move offshore."
However, the nature of the Tax code makes such a drastic action unnecessary.
Any individual can offset their Federal and most State taxes with taxes paid to any "foreign" entity. (Taxes paid to PA can offset against NJ and vice versa.) The primary reason that Florida is such a popular "retirement" state is that they lack a state income tax.
Your name two individuals who are prime examples.
They employ legions of Accountants and Lawyers all in the name of "tax avoidance."
Both Gates and Buffet loudly proclaim opposition to the Bush tax cuts, yet both refuse to pay the taxes which they would owe... WITHOUT the tax cuts. Neither one is so concerned or upset that they are not paying enough so that they would consider paying "extra" monies to the government -- city, state or local.
That sounds like hypocrisy and a total lack of moral and ethical scruples to me.
T.T.F.N. William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
