Moral duty to pay taxes - when?

Arnfinn Madsen · #1 07-05-2007, 09:59 AM

Let's say you earn $100k on some legal activity that can not be traced. In which regimes do you feel that you have a moral obligation to pay and in which not?

I.e. which of these, where do you draw the line?
-Democratic society
-Under Hitler/Stalin
-Under Franco/ greek military Junta
-Current Egypt
-The medieval church
-A very corrupt democracy
etc.

pvn · #2 07-05-2007, 10:27 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Let's say you earn $100k on some legal activity that can not be traced. In which regimes do you feel that you have a moral obligation to pay and in which not?

I.e. which of these, where do you draw the line?
-Democratic society
-Under Hitler/Stalin
-Under Franco/ greek military Junta
-Current Egypt
-The medieval church
-A very corrupt democracy
etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

None.

bkholdem · #3 07-05-2007, 10:27 AM

I never feel a moral duty to fork over money to some outside authority that is going to decide how best to spend my money. Any moral 'duty' I feel has nothing to do with some humans threatening me (I don't know about all those regimes and if any would have no threats)

Arnfinn Madsen · #4 07-05-2007, 10:29 AM

[ QUOTE ]
None.

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[img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Nielsio · #5 07-05-2007, 11:44 AM

Maybe the OP can explain why there would be such a moral duty.

bobman0330 · #6 07-05-2007, 02:46 PM

I'd say no obligation under Hitler, medieval society, or a corrupt democracy. In that case, most of the money would be going to fund pointless war and genocide, pointless war, or corruption, respectively, and none of those benefit or are intended to benefit me.

In the other cases, I would feel obliged to pay at least a portion of my tax bill.

nietzreznor · #7 07-05-2007, 03:22 PM

[ QUOTE ]
None.

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Mojo56 · #8 07-05-2007, 03:58 PM

Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Naught. Nil. The empty set.

ianlippert · #9 07-05-2007, 06:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Let's say you earn $100k on some legal activity that can not be traced. In which regimes do you feel that you have a moral obligation to pay and in which not?

[/ QUOTE ]

You must be new around here [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

lehighguy · #10 07-06-2007, 01:19 AM

No matter what your noble aims, wouldn't you always be better off donating the money to charity.