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Tax Avoidance

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Apparently Halliburton wants to relocate there to avoid the taxation in the 'states.

Which I find especially ironic and hypocritical , since their work is mostly government contracts paid for by US taxes. They could at the very least pay "their share" of the money they're stealing.

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Halliburton is primarily an oil services firm doing work for the major energy companies. They spun off their subsidiary KBR last year. KBR has a lot of government business, but that doesn't mean they are "stealing". If they can provide something more cost effectively than the government, I'd much rather see a private company do the work.

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Halliburton is primarily an oil services firm doing work for the major energy companies. They spun off their subsidiary KBR last year. KBR has a lot of government business, but that doesn't mean they are "stealing". If they can provide something more cost effectively than the government, I'd much rather see a private company do the work.

I had in mind their no bid contract to rebuild Iraq on my dime.

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And, not to hijack but, How do you get away this?

I keep a low profile and take my chances.

Well, your screen name is certainly appropriate.

I'm not accepting any government handouts, and I cannot live morally by subsidizing the theft and unconstitutionality of our current regime. What else am I supposed to do, but shrug off the looters who would steal the fruits of my hard-earned labor when they deserve none?

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Good answers, Bobsponge!

I keep a low profile and take my chances.

Me, I'm a bit of a wisenheimer and trouble-maker. My "profile" is sometimes: "Come and get me, G-Men!" :pirate::devil:

I'm not accepting any government handouts, and I cannot live morally by subsidizing the theft and unconstitutionality of our current regime. What else am I supposed to do, but shrug off the looters who would steal the fruits of my hard-earned labor when they deserve none?

Some people "shrug." Some people pack Uzis. :pirate::devil:

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In general, when posting like this, one is banking on nobody caring enough. If, you were some terrorist making a credible threat instead of someone talking about taxes it would be relatively simple for a government agency to identify a poster who is not using an anonymizer service.

Edited by softwareNerd
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I keep a low profile and take my chances.
And to kind of hijack the hijack, I think this is a bad policy for an American. I can still create an above-average (to insanely wonderful!) life for myself with our current tax rate. Presumably, the final goal is to legalize not paying taxes, so as to get rid of the inconvenient low profile thing. How can a citizen further that cause when broke, jailed, or with a reputation for dishonesty?

I hate taxes. When I consider how much productivity is wasted, how much slower our technological advance, due to the government's horrible stealing and then mismanagement of our money, at best it makes my blood boil and at worst, makes me pretty damn sad. But running from the government is not the way to fix the problem. At least as long as a gun isn't literally at your temple.

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I hate taxes. When I consider how much productivity is wasted, how much slower our technological advance, due to the government's horrible stealing and then mismanagement of our money, at best it makes my blood boil and at worst, makes me pretty damn sad. But running from the government is not the way to fix the problem. At least as long as a gun isn't literally at your temple.

I used to do the minimal-red-flag tactic but at this point I just can't bring myself to send any more money to them.

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I prefer the Glock 30. Smaller profile, bigger holes. :)

Another good answer, Bobsponge!

When confronted with evil -- such as Big Brother -- the basic two choices are "fight or flight." Wisdom dictates a judicious mixture of both. Especially when the enemy is Uncle Sam. But personal honor and psychological well-being dictates a fair amount of make the bastard suffer. :nuke:

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When confronted with evil -- such as Big Brother -- the basic two choices are "fight or flight." Wisdom dictates a judicious mixture of both. Especially when the enemy is Uncle Sam. But personal honor and psychological well-being dictates a fair amount of make the bastard suffer. :nuke:

Facts:

1. The money collected through income tax is used to pay off the interest on the US national debt.

2. Said interest is completely unnecessary, as it is mandated through the Federal Reserve Act, which states that the USA *must* borrow its money at interest from the Federal Reserve Bank, which is a private company.

3. The USA could, has the right to do so, and should (reference the Lincoln Greenback and Colonial Scrip), make its own money sans Fed, without generating an interest debt. Debt-free currency! And it would remove a layer from the M3 reporting and liability regarding how much money is in circulation and who is truly liable for destroying our individual savings.

4. Our congress, who has the ability to control the inflation of our currency, chooses not to, even though it is directly against the interest of the American people.

5. Our congress continues to screw social security, which then moves them to consider mandating pensions and other hefty retirement benefits, all to patch a problem that could be alleviated by making our savings accounts *not* worthless by the time we are ready to retire.

6. Our congressional infighting and growing welfare statism are bringing about an alltime record amount of nanny-state money-burning which comes from said national debt-loans, and the taxpayers are then forced to pay for the damage.

7. Our constitutional rights are then continually trod upon by things such as the Patriot Act, the Banking Secrecy act, the Know-your-customer act, the Real ID act, etc. These acts do not apply to non-citizens, so who is the real enemy here?

This, my friends, is the cream of why I have major issues with paying income tax. I am happy to pay highway tax, fuel tax, sales tax, etc. for what I use because those make sense-- but forcing a man to pay a portion of his sweat and blood so that others may flush his rights away and kick him when he's down-- that is immoral and I cannot support its perpetuation any longer. We're paying our elected officials to crap on us.

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And to kind of hijack the hijack, I think this is a bad policy for an American. I can still create an above-average (to insanely wonderful!) life for myself with our current tax rate. Presumably, the final goal is to legalize not paying taxes, so as to get rid of the inconvenient low profile thing. How can a citizen further that cause when broke, jailed, or with a reputation for dishonesty?

I hate taxes. When I consider how much productivity is wasted, how much slower our technological advance, due to the government's horrible stealing and then mismanagement of our money, at best it makes my blood boil and at worst, makes me pretty damn sad. But running from the government is not the way to fix the problem. At least as long as a gun isn't literally at your temple.

Well said. Those of us who live by reason live in a world surrounded by irrational people, or at least "regular" folks who are irrational much of the time because they don't know better. The kinds of lives that some of these domestic tax avoiders lead are sometimes primitive at best. They could be holed up in isolated communities, or living off of someone who is part of the system or living off of cash-only jobs and buying a limited amount of consumer goods in order to avoid paying sales taxes.

No thanks. I pay a lot of taxes, have a good life and a fun job and we're pretty well off. I can live a cushy life and live by example by folks seeing that someone who believes in freedom can work hard, be honest, be prominent in his community and even eschew going to church - and be well-liked. Being linked to the ilk of the Unambomber or the Ruby Ridge or militia crowd would not only mean a reduced quality of life, but folks would think our views are those of nuts. People ask me, when it comes up that I do not go to church or believe in religion, what I believe. Even the most religious people I run into find the comfort I find in my views to be fascinating.

So they'll see this reasonable guy with good kids, who is also a conscientious parent with a child who uses a wheelchair (there is a stereotype that disabled folks and their advocates are left/liberal/moochers - not all are), reasonably say make his point about how our high taxes are unnecessary, unproductive, wasteful and immoral.

I have to wonder as well how many of the more ardent "just don't pay taxes" folks here are people who have never really had to pay a lot taxes or learn what it is like to exist in the real world with kids and a house and a prominent position in one's community. I do not say this to be wantonly critical, but to suggest that maybe it is a good idea to step back and consider more thoughtful responses to issues such as these. JASKN's is a good example of a well-reasoned response.

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bobsponge,

I share your distaste for taxation, particularly of the wealth transfer variety. But unlike you, I pay my taxes in full for one reason--I prefer liberty to incarceration. As unjust as the tax code is, it is the law. No sense in compounding the injustice by risking jail time and a lifetime of payng penalty and interest.

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When confronted with evil -- such as Big Brother -- the basic two choices are "fight or flight." Wisdom dictates a judicious mixture of both. Especially when the enemy is Uncle Sam.

Umm. A judicious mixture of fight and flight, against Uncle Sam? If you actually put that into place, we'll see just how wise a strategy it is...

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bobsponge,

I share your distaste for taxation, particularly of the wealth transfer variety. But unlike you, I pay my taxes in full for one reason--I prefer liberty to incarceration. As unjust as the tax code is, it is the law. No sense in compounding the injustice by risking jail time and a lifetime of payng penalty and interest.

The "Good Germans" also thought that way, and look what happened.

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The kinds of lives that some of these domestic tax avoiders lead are sometimes primitive at best.

I for one admire bobsponge for living on principle. I also pay all of my taxes, but with none of the pride which you seem to have. It is my understanding that he is not one of the ones you mention, living a primitive lifestyle. Further, I would make the argument that a real primitive lifestyle is one in which I must acquiesce in uncle tom fashion to the gun holders who steal 40% off the top of the country's productivity each year, which is to say, the lions share of almost everyone's discretionary income. This does not include the costs of regulation and government interference nor the horrid effects of inflation which at the, underestimated stated amount of 4%/year eliminates 50% of the real value of our money every 18 years.

edit: and the sad part of it is that if one person in five had the intrepidity to act on their beliefs to his extent, the problem wouldn't exist. They would have a hard task to put 60 million people in jail.

Edited by aequalsa
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And the sad part of it is that if one person in five had the intrepidity to act on their beliefs to his extent, the problem wouldn't exist. They would have a hard task to put 60 million people in jail.
But, how are you going to convince 60 million people to simultaneously stop forking over money? That circumstance might allow you to quit "cold turkey" without any serious consequences, but it will not happen.

And who's to say those of us who pay taxes are not living on principle? And which principle? We are dealing with nationally-sanctioned criminals, not an ideal, reasoned society, so the rules are different. We still have the option to kick and scream against taxes publicly. Since the ultimate goal is to get the most out of one's life, under our particular national condition (pay or serve time), I think voicing opposition, in every way appropriate, is the best route.

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The "Good Germans" also thought that way, and look what happened.

If you've found a way to avoid paying taxes, well hey good for you. But I don't approve of your derision of the rest of us. To suggest that we are morally required to risk jail or worse is simply not true. This is not Nazi Germany or any other kind of dictatorship - yet - and it is still moral to live within the system under protest.

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