Tuesday, July 11, 2017

For a zero corporate tax rate

Lets end this race to the bottom once and for all. We see countries all over the world out-bidding one another for corporate HQs by offering lower corporate tax rates than their neighbours and their trading partners.

Let's go to zero and get it over with!

That may seem a little extravagant, especially coming from a self-identified small "c" commie, but hear me out.

While we're putting the corporate tax rate to zero, we have to bring in a few other measures, some from the past, some new.

First of all, we have to recognize the fact that contrary to what the Supreme Court of the USA thinks, corporations are not in fact people. This is a no-brainer to regular folks everywhere, but it's something that needs to have some legal backbone. Money eventually flows out of those corporations and into the accounts of actual people.

Secondly, let's bring back the marginal tax rates that obtained when America was a far more egalitarian country. After WWII America had a marginal tax rate of 90%. The rich still got richer, but not nearly as fast. The war debt got repaid. The working class prospered.

Third, we need to eliminate the practice of using corporate profits for share buy-backs. This has soaked up trillions of dollars for the benefit of shareholders and corporate management at the expense of society at large.

Four, let's tax capital gains as income, universally. Because that is exactly what it is. There are rich folks the world over who pay zero tax because their income is not considered income.

Finally, let's make the elimination of tax havens a global priority. What are tax havens other than a useful legal dodge that allows the wealthiest to avoid paying their share.

There you have it; advocacy for zero corporate taxes from a communist.

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