Taxes Are Not punishment
More accurately stated, taxes are not meant to be
punishment.
- Taxes are where the money came from to build the roads you use to bring in the raw materials you convert into products which are then shipped using those same roads…
- Taxes are where the money came from to install waterlines to your manufacturing facility, as well as the sewer lines taking your waste away, in order to keep your production lines running...
- Taxes are where the money came that made sure the trucks carrying your goods to market won't blow up on the way, killing your employee and destroying your goods…
- Taxes are where the money comes from that paid the lawyers who wrote the contract laws that make certain you’ll get your money when a customer reneges and refuses to pay you the money you rightfully have coming to you…
- Taxes are where the government gets the money it needs to protect your patent rights, so that you can continue to be successful and not have to worry that someone will steal your design from you and cheat you out of what is rightfully yours…
- Taxes are where we get the money to pay congress to pass treaties like NAFTA, which only benefit companies like yours, not workers, and not government, only you…
- Taxes are where the money comes from to do basic scientific research that gives birth to new technologies that companies like yours profit by…
- Taxes are where society gets the money it needs to make sure your kids don’t have to breathe in too many carcinogenic particulates on their way to school…
- Taxes are where society gets the money it needs to make sure the food your kids eat won't make them sick…
- Taxes are where society gets the money it needs to make sure that the elderly are forced to live in squalor…
- Taxes are where we get the money we need to hire police departments to protect your family and your possessions…
- Taxes are where society gets money to provide for fire departments so that if your house starts on fire, help is on the way…
And so very much more!
So, you've made it and you’re
wealthy. Good for you. The rest of us don’t begrudge your success. In fact, we’d
like to emulate it. We just want you to be as responsible towards paying your fair share of taxes as you were in building
your success so that the rest of us have a real shot at it.
By refusing to do
your share, you’re making it harder for
those of us still trying to make it. For every penny of taxes you evade,
that’s one more penny the rest of us have to make up for.
That penny only benefits you, by the way. Even though the
rest of us helped pay for the roads, the sewers, etc. You are the only one who
sees benefit of the penny of taxes you evaded. You cheated.
By paying your fair share of taxes, you are ‘paying it
forward’. You’re making sure that the next generation has the same
opportunities you did. You’ll be doing for them what someone did for you.
Now, if all that isn’t enough to give you pause maybe this
will:
- Taxes are also where we get the money we need to train the country’s armed services to prepare them to go to war to protect your freedoms, including the freedom to run your own business…And
- Taxes are where we get the money to provide vocational training to veterans when they return to civilian life…so that they have the skills needed to go to work for you.
Don't pay taxes but then don't cry when the competition uses your patents...and no one cares.
Don't pay taxes but then don't cry when your house is on fire...and no one cares.
Don't pay taxes but then don't cry when people cheat you out of your profits...and no one cares.
The truest test of character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.