• @[email protected]
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    177 months ago

    Indeed! This chart is crap. How are these values even calculated? Is this a flat tax on their networth? Nobody gets taxed like this, at least that I’m aware of - people get taxed on their profits.

    I’m completely for taxing billionaires (individuals and corps) heavily on their profits, but let’s use proper arguments, not intentionally misleading bullshit.

    • stebo
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      97 months ago

      people get taxed on their profits.

      yes but a wealth tax is a tax on what you own or what you could buy, aka your net worth

        • @[email protected]
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          37 months ago

          I agree with you but the culture around here is exceptionally infuriating for anyone who understands a thing about finance/accounting/tax/money in general so good luck.

            • @[email protected]
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              27 months ago

              People will always act in their own rational self interest. Idk where people get this idea from that you can legislate market forces. It’s like legislating the tides or the seasons. The commies around here walking around bitching about all these mean rich people are so naive it’s really incredible.

              • @[email protected]
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                17 months ago

                Well, you can legislate market forces, to an extent. The issue is the degree to which people are demanding tax revenue goes so far as to violate basic math. People want a wealth tax that for the s&p 500 would hypothetically amount to 36 trillion dollars, but the M2 money supply is only 20 trillion total.

                • @[email protected]
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                  17 months ago

                  That’s actually a really good point I hadn’t even thought of. Is there even enough actual currency in circulation to pay the tax people are talking about, or is it all locked up in hypothetical future income priced in to the current FMV? Great post.

        • @[email protected]
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          17 months ago

          Depends on scale.

          At the scale of a property tax, might be ok. Or at least more fair, I’m stuck being taxed on my house which is most of my net worth, so…

          At the scale of an income tax, or as frequently demanded an extreme income tax at like 90%, then yes, it would explode, fall to produce desired revenue, and take down most retirement funds with it.

            • @[email protected]
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              27 months ago

              Of course, in the wrong thread you get branded as some billionaire defender, when you are trying to explain that it’s fine to go after them and they do enjoy having way too much actual money, but any strategy to make it fair has to be smart and workable rather than going after an extrapolated number of dollars that don’t “actually” exist. It’s true that it’s all imaginary is an oversimplification when they clearly lead lives of intense wealth, but have to recognize the degree to which that claim is true. So take that into consideration and advocate things like covering unrealized gains as collateral in a better tax system, or a property tax level rate on unrealized gains (though even then, have to tread carefully. Most property has an intrinsic use and the tax burden has been priced into the market for eternity, for a more purely financial vehicle previously not subject to a tax, might have unintended consequences).