Tax break for Olympic medalists? 1 guy votes no - what do you think?

[Buck]

You're quibbling with their choices, not making a case for them to get out of the business.

I'm attempting to provide two examples of tax incentives being used to encourage behavior that I don't think provide any benefit to the citizenry as a whole.

 

[Alma]

When did this notion take hold of someone not wanting to hand over their income or wealth in taxes make them a bad person or a criminal or somehow suspect? At worst, if you use that tangled tax code we have to minimize your tax burden (to zero if you are able to), all you have done is act within the shirtty tax code and held onto YOUR money. I know others disagree, but to me there is no virtue in handing over what you have earned to some authority that figuratively holds a gun to your head. Why is that virtuous?

I get what you're saying, but I feel like you're leaning on the word "virtuous."

Perhaps, in your mind's eye, you can envision a world where we can manage human welfare without the tax system, but any system comes with flaws. Maybe it doesn't come with the things you listed here, but it's going to come with some irritating shirtty side effects no matter what it is, because that's human nature.

It's also interesting that you write the words "unless you start off from the vantage point of the mob having a claim on what others have earned."

I mean, isn't that basically the underpinnings of Manifest Destiny - that settlers didn't have to recognize Indian tribes and could just take their land without permission?

 

[doctorquant]

... isn't that basically the underpinnings of Manifest Destiny - that settlers didn't have to recognize Indian tribes and could just take their land without permission?

No.

 

[Alma]

No.

Why?

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I'm attempting to provide two examples of tax incentives being used to encourage behavior that I don't think provide any benefit to the citizenry as a whole.

Exactly.

 

[Buck]

Well the opening phrase of my sentence was 'in some cases.'

 

[TopOfTheCircle]

Having graduated with Jim Himes in college, I support his logic and reasoning. Besides, this tax break is only for a very, very few people. It's not as though the tax break is for every single member of the Olympic team. This tax break is benefitting several multimillion-dollar athletes like Kevin Durant. They don't need this tax break in the first damn place.

 

[Starman]

I'm pretty sure, if they set up their training and competitions through nonprofit organizations, most Olympic-level athletes in all but the big-money professionalized sports can write off most of their expenses anyway.