i think y'all are fucking with me. :1orglaugh which is cool.

but

that's $5k income at the bottom end.

the 15 countries that do not charge income tax

Monaco
Kuwait
Bermuda
U.A.E.
Andorra
British Virgin Islands
Qatar
Bahamas
Oman
Brunei
Cayman Islands
Anguilla
Maldives
Turks and Caicos
Vanuatu

after that there are very few countries with "low" income tax overall. botswana anyone?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_by_tax_rates

If people choose to pay that is great. You every every right to give them as much money as you want. The problem is, we don't have a choice and will be punished if we don't pay them.

But lets say that one day everyone decided not to pay anymore. Things would still get paid for via other methods just like they do in other countries (or states) with no or low tax, and private companies would take care of things as well.

:2 cents:

I didn't said Thailand doesn't have taxes, I said hardly anyone pays them. And by "anyone" I mean the average citizen. They don't hunt you down and ruin your life here if you don't, so people choose not to pay. I've yet to meet a single Thai person who pays personal income taxes and I first started come here in the 90s. I know a few businessmen who pay taxes on their business, but the average person doesn't pay anything.

my point is there is an income tax there, in some cases, more than the u.s. besides, it's not really a shiny beacon of modern-day infrastructure there, from what i've read. what ~500 miles of highways tota, for examplel.

lol, nice comeback, nothing weaker than attacking grammar/spelling errors.

Double nice comeback because you're even wrong too :1orglaugh

http://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/an_or_a.htm

There were two guys working for the city. One would dig a hole -- he would dig, dig, dig. the other would come behind him and fill the hole -- fill, fill, fill. these two men worked furiously; one digging a hole, the other filling it up again.

A man was watching from the sidewalk and couldn't believe how hard these men were working, but he couldn't understand what they were doing. Finally he had to ask them.

He said to the hole digger, "I appreciate how hard you work, but what are you doing? You dig a hole and your partner comes behind you and fills it up again!"

The hole digger replied, "Oh yeah, must look funny, but the guy who plants the trees is sick today."

:jester

Yes, there is a tax but most people don't pay it. They make money from other ways. That is what I'm saying. However, Thailand is a horrible example to compare to the USA in terms of infrastructure, even though it is fairly decent, as corruption here is what ruins the country, not a lack of money for the projects. That is the same problem all developing nations have, corruption drains the money, but there is never shortage of money in places where most people do not pay tax. Many of these "poor" countries are literally bathing in cash and collect very little or no income tax, it just goes into the pockets of those running the place, and oddly the USA pours money into them via foreign aid.

Any examples as to where the money comes from?

Sales tax, tourism, toll roads, import / export tax, corporate tax, selling natural resources, and so on. Private companies also step up to the plate and take care of things, like building a bridge or train tracks and so on. Of course they get tax credits for doing so. There are endless ways countries make money that don't involve income tax.

The problem is most westerners have been duped into thinking life will come to a halt if they don't do their duty and pay taxes to the government. Nothing could be further from the truth. "Who will build the roads" is the silliest thing one can say in regards to this. Roads get built just fine without income tax.

The lack of highways has more to do with the clusterfuck that is land expropriation :2 cents:

Progressive sales tax and flat income tax is the way to go. Although you can't fully compare an island state like Singapore to the US taxing "lifestyle" rather than income makes a lot of sense.







______________

i'm not sure what we are debating any more! I think ultimately the comparison boils down to developed nations spend more money and take in more money. if thai people don't want to chip in, then things like widespread corruption fill the void. or they just don't get things in return that those get in nation's who get more paid in and in return spend more.


the other point is since the day taxes were collected anywhere, i'd wager peeps were bitching about what that tax was spent on. it's a compromise system based on representatives.

finally, y'all know you cannot put the genie back in the bottle right? you know we can't just stop the military. we can't just stop taxing. we are way past that option.

I am no slave.
I am a free thinker who happens to be Canadian. As such, I must give thanks for the wonderful schooling and medical care i received here, not to mention the wonderful social programs i took part in growing up. I am happy to pay tax. {not more then i should though}

Of course i write off what is possible. There are many incentives here you can take advantage of. However scheming to pay zero while you take full advantage of the rights afforded you in the world for being, in my case Canadian, is like the friend who never brings money to dinner.

Social programs need to exist to keep society on the right path. That is what religion was originally designed for. To herd the sheep. Well the sheep still need herding.
The average person out there is brain-dead, this board is not a fair representation of the outside world. This is a collection of business owners speaking from the hip on various subjects. Without patting ourselves on the back too much, the majority of longtime posters here are of above average intelligence.

So 95% of the earth still needs to be told exactly what to do. Or in one generation they would be drinking water from the same place they shit. They would eat themselves into an early death, and poison their own water supply with chemicals. People and companies need to be regulated for more reasons then just bending over for "the man".

Just because you are doing great and dominating your time on earth, do not assume that others are. Try to do your best in all areas. Not just your pocketbook.

/sermon



Bacon
http://bacolicious.s3.amazonaws.com/bacon.png

That I agree with, and it will be part of the reason the American empire will eventually collapse just as every empire before it did who tried to do the same thing.

that's a good way to look at it and sum that view up.
i'm ready. it's why i prefer watching british tele shows, that self-deprecating humor from living in the failed empire is hilarious! so cheeky.

:2 cents::2 cents::2 cents:

Getting back on track...

Though the Apple corporation may have had enough overhead and deductions to not pay a "penny" in taxes...I'll bet that their employees (from the top down) paid PLENTY in individual income tax.

So hopefully we all won't feel too sorry for Poor Old Uncle Sam, especially since the feds spend over 10 BILLION dollars per day. It would only take the feds 7 days to run through 100% of what Apple makes in a year.

Out of control in my opinion.

Well said :thumbsup

:thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup

Yep!

<-- Seen quite a few of those...

101 pieces of bacon

http://bacolicious.s3.amazonaws.com/bacon.png