The Prime Minister of Finland speaks out:
The overall tax rate will have to rise as well over the longer term. In some areas that can be done without much consultation between the countries. For example, property taxes or inheritance taxes can largely be determined at the national level without adverse economic consequences. But such taxes will not raise significant amounts of revenue. Only changes in value added tax, various excise taxes or taxes on earned and capital income can make a real difference.
However, raising such taxes can have detrimental effects on economic activity. This is especially so when a country acts on its own: capital and people can respond by migrating to jurisdictions with lower rates. Deeper co-operation is therefore necessary if tax revenues are to be increased in a way that truly helps fiscal consolidation.
We must raise taxes at the international level because if we do it at the national level then people will vote with their feet and bugger off.
The bastards.
7 responses so far ↓
1 JuliaM // Jun 17, 2009 at 11:04 am
And we said all those conspiracy theorists screaming about ‘World Government’ were cuckoo…
2 Kay Tie // Jun 17, 2009 at 11:46 am
Funny how competition is a good thing for shop keepers, but not for governments.
3 AntiCitizenOne // Jun 17, 2009 at 1:33 pm
“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.”
Adam Smith
4 Serf // Jun 17, 2009 at 3:46 pm
They are like my wife. When told to live within their means, they start thinking about ways to increase their spending power.
5 Pamela // Jun 17, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Just shoot the bastard
6 me here // Jun 17, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Oh, puleezzzz, there can be no civilization without taxation. So just piss off to America and be done.
7 MikeinAppalachia // Jun 18, 2009 at 2:23 am
Most of y’all (see Name) are certainly welcome. But you may have to hurry as our Dear Leader appears to have plans for taxes of his own.
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