Forcing others to solve your own problems

[Jamie (K)]

In Germany, it's recently been found that a lot of people have been cheating on taxes by hiding their money in low-tax countries nearby. The German government is now trying to force and intimidate those countries into providing information on tax dodgers.

However, I've read that the German tax system (like the American one) is so complex and confiscatory that it encourages cheating. One commentator said that instead of intimidating other countries and trying to force them to solve Germany's own problem, Germany should just lower taxes and simplify its tax system.

This makes sense to me, because lower taxes usually generate more tax revenue for a government (as has been shown several times in the US). Also, in other countries -- such as Russia -- when they simplified their tax system, fewer people cheated on their taxes, it stimulated the economy, and the government got more tax money.

Any opinions?

[Ralf]

I agree with you, Jamie. I have to pay my tax in Germany, and collecting the material for my deceleration alone does my head in. The way I see it, the system wants to be exploited by knowledgeable tax advisers or resourceful business men who eventually achieve what should actually be assumed by the the exchequer - fair financial offset. The term itself is weird and paradoxical.

There is a politician of the liberal party (which favours liberal/free economy here) who advocates the introduction of a "beer-matt sized" tax declaration form. He's being polemic, but he has a point.
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[Fan Of Arabian Horses]

Hi Jamie,

what an innocent subject line for such a huge concern. I mean before one can complain about tax cheating it must be clarified how sensibel tax are at all and who have to pay them.

Secondly many of that people you´re referring to are politicians or employees of the government. That means they themselves caused the complex and confiscatory tax system they now try to escape from.

And additional the German government do make a fuss of it. What did they achieve? Some poor jerks advised to themselves, after having get the promise of exemption from punishment and now the exchequer clerks have that much to do they don´t discover any other lapse.

So what´s the reason. Like I mentioned: making a fuss of nothing.

Regards

Michael

[Jamie (K)]

[Fan Of Arabian Horses]

Hi all, I seeem really sound to be angry about everyone( i.e every from abroad) believe me I´m not. I just get angry when somebody from abroad comes to be getting stuck up an evalution the nations behave.

In this case it means: the Germans are blamed to be confiscatory with their taxes.

Firstly: it seems to be right as everyone in Germany is complaining about the outrages percentage they have to pay. I myself often enough complain out the taxes I have to pay. Of an amount of 1500 € it takes me 500€ to reach my workplace. As the taxes of that amount is 75- 80 % of the whole amount it seems quite much and I myself defenitely complain very often. And the costs are increasing more than my income.

That´s my very personnel situation. Now there are some people who take their income (they acheive at home i.e their native nation )abroad while expecting a higher profit there, would you agree it were correct?

The second issue is: "Tax cheating isn´t a peccadillo",is it? When an average German tries to cheat on the taxes he is needed to pay he would have been put to prison for many years(Not being kidding)! Resulting of this it means everyone has to pay the taxes, don´t they have to? Now if everyone has to pay the taxes (no matter how much and not evaluating the height of them). Cheating the taxes means doing a crime doesn´t it?

I mean if a person who isn´t able to earn a life in Germany(from what reason ever) successfully robs a bank and happens to go to (for example to Liechtenstein) the native government definetly wouldn´t refuse any help for the Geman Government. Now the question is: "is tax Cheating a crime or isn´t it?

Interested in opinions

Michael

[Prezbucky]

"the ideal state of life, from a tax point of view is to be an unmarried couple living together and sending their children to all-day institutional daycare"

Jamie, hmmm... I think I'll try to take advantage of that. hehe
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[Prezbucky]

What do y'all think of the following:

- Flat tax (everyone's income is taxed at the same rate)

- Consumption tax (tax revenue is gathered through purchases made by the taxpayer)
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Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.