Live data from Hacker News

The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

qz.com

851–860 of 991 posts

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#851

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Vote with Republicans in removing it

But Republicans put it in. The proposed. They were the vast majority of the votes for it. It was signed by Trump. It was their baby.

2020 - Trump goes after tiktok https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-31/trump-to-...

In 2024 two bills (merged later) went through the Republican controlled House with a bipartisan vote (350+ for) [1] then the Democrat controlled Senate [2] with another bipartisan vote (79-18, attached to an Israeli funding bill) basically following whatTrump wanted.

Late 2024 - Trump then offered to save the service when the Public turned against the ban and used it as a campaign item.

2025 - His supporters were all over Tiktok praising him, including the CEO of Tiktok when he put a pause on the required sale. He's also extended the deadline multiple times now.

----------------------------

Republicans might start using this tactic more now that it's been shown to work. It's similar to the "Fuck the next admin" tax bill that he put in his first term.

[1] https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-house-vote-force-byted... [2] https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466d...

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#852

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> you don't pay taxes on profits, but on revenue. That can't be right. It definitely isn't in my country. If own a car dealership, and I sell a car for $50,000 that I bought from the manufacturer for $40,000, surely I would pay tax on the $10,000 profit? The tax on the the full $50,000 revenue might exceed my profit!

Welcome to the Democrat version of taxes. In Michigan, restaurant owners had to pay a tax on revenue and not profit around 2008 or so. lots of retaurants went out of business overnight.

When taxes are paid on revenue rather than profits, the rate is obviously much lower, so that it would add up to roughly the same thing.

However, there are many benefits overall. For one, it completely kills off the various convoluted schemes to avoid classifying something that is obviously a profit as such (by shuffling things around subsidiaries etc, for example). See also: Hollywood accounting.

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#853

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ...most of the value is vested in the person that wrote the code, not the code itself. You must have misphrased what you intended to say. If what you wrote was true, a software company's most valuable asset would be the specific programmers in its employ. If true, average tenure of a programmer would be way longer than 1.5->2 years as companies worked really , really hard to keep their most valuable assets from wal…

Most programmers do approximately zero work that is R&D. The most you lose if they walk out the door is institutional knowledge. On the other hand, I've worked almost exclusively on software R&D for decades and seen the loss of a single person effectively end a project even when the software was essentially finished. Software R&D is about developing abstract knowledge, concrete implementation code is just a useful by…

> Most programmers do approximately zero work that is R&D.

So, what you're saying is one or more of the following:

1) The work of most programmers should not be considered R&D, and shouldn't be covered by tax schemes intended for R&D.

2) Most "software IP" in the industry is not the result of R&D.

3) You've rarely been involved in the sale of non-R&D "software IP". (Do recall that your original statement was "As anyone that has ever sold software IP knows, most of the value is vested in the person that wrote the code, not the code itself.")

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#854

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The evidence is that independent commissions drawing maps makes for more competitive districts. Which party is most opposed to such commissions? Which party is gleefully dismantling all accountability and oversight positions and departments? Which party is openly inviting corruption and pardoning those they should be prosecuting?

I wonder why one party would be seeking to change a civil service that’s 90% staffed by members of the other party? I guess “democracy” means Democrats running the country no matter who wins the election, right?

Democracy means "one person, one vote".

We all know which party is fighting tooth and nail against that on practically every issue that affects it.

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#855
post #537

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's pretty bad. It had a huge impact on my personally, I'm a small R&D shop and basically I have had to end all risky long-term research projects. In addition to the research costs, I'd also have to pay taxes on the research costs mostly up-front. Significantly, if the project doesn't work out, I'm still out of pocket for the tax money. It's a penalty for taking a risk, and it kneecaps American innovators in a globa…

> In addition to the research costs, I'd also have to pay taxes on the research costs mostly up-front. Significantly, if the project doesn't work out, I'm still out of pocket for the tax money. That’s how it works for every business! If Jim Bean builds a distillation facility it has to amortize the investment in that over time. If the distillation facility doesn’t pan out, then it doesn’t get a refund for the taxes p…

It doesn’t matter. Jim Bean doesn’t compete with an R&D software company. The R&D software company does compete with other companies in different jurisdictions with better regulations.

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#856

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that is a misrepresentation of the fundamental progressive position, which is to make progress but never at the cost of the marginalized. Because we historically make most progress at the cost of the marginalized it can feel limiting or even discriminatory when we make sure they don’t beat the brunt of continued progress. There is nothing against the group you mention except that it might be the group that mo…

> I think that is a misrepresentation of the fundamental progressive position, which is to make progress but never at the cost of the marginalized. That just means that the marginalized become an anchor preventing progress. We can’t have nice things until we solve the problems of the bottom quantile—which we never will. If progressives had been in charge, America and everything it created wouldn’t exist. They never w…

What do you think is the best way to turn tables around and ensure that the marginalized are a net positive for progress? Perhaps we should reintroduce slavery? Or do you think that turning them into food or fertilizer would have more net benefit?

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#857

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He would do nothing because his supporters believe misinformation and worship him. Prices haven't gone down at all nor will bringing manufacturing to the US do this (likely causing them to go up) but his approval rating is 50%

> He would do nothing because his supporters believe misinformation and worship him. Interesting, that hasn't been my experience. I live in a very red part of the country and most people I know are Trump supporters, including some family members have been very MAGA since 2016. I've been hearing more and more complaints over missed promises: no Epstein files, raising budgets, RFK is starting to water down his promises…

> I've been hearing more and more complaints over missed promises: no Epstein files, raising budgets, RFK is starting to water down his promises, no end to the Ukraine or Gaza wars, etc.

I based my argument on the poll averages as shown below, most are high 40s similar to the past few months. I would think if people were upset about missed promises it would be reflected in these. It's been ~5 months.

You might say people are giving him a chance to implement a plan or that some action would take time therefore they are willing to give a thumbs up for now, hence the polls. The reason I discounted this is because I'm not aware of any plan or current actions by Trump that would reduce prices. The trade wars will either increase prices due to tariffs or increase prices if products are made in the US.*1

I believe you but maybe float a question to your neighbors - "If prices don't come down would you vote Democrat in 2027?"

https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/approval/donald-trump...

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#858

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He would do nothing because his supporters believe misinformation and worship him. Interesting, that hasn't been my experience. I live in a very red part of the country and most people I know are Trump supporters, including some family members have been very MAGA since 2016. I've been hearing more and more complaints over missed promises: no Epstein files, raising budgets, RFK is starting to water down his promises…

He missed effectively every promise from 2016. Why did these people vote for him 2 more times, especially after an attempted coup? Maybe these "complaints" are just an attempt to dodge personal responsibility for having supported a catastrophe.

He's removing the illegal immigrants and being very aggressive about it.

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#859

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He would do nothing because his supporters believe misinformation and worship him. Interesting, that hasn't been my experience. I live in a very red part of the country and most people I know are Trump supporters, including some family members have been very MAGA since 2016. I've been hearing more and more complaints over missed promises: no Epstein files, raising budgets, RFK is starting to water down his promises…

He missed effectively every promise from 2016. Why did these people vote for him 2 more times, especially after an attempted coup? Maybe these "complaints" are just an attempt to dodge personal responsibility for having supported a catastrophe.

Sure you can guess at a person's intentions or reasoning, but my experience here is that there weren't many complaints in the first term for whatever reason and now there are.

I couldn't get inside their head to say why. My read on them is largely that the complaints are legitimate frustrations though. This isn't exactly a part of the country where voters are somewhat evenly split and Trump supports would need to save face or smooth over interpersonal friction by giving a nod to the idea that he may not deliver.

Re: The time bomb in the tax code that's fueling mass tech layoffs

#860

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But what would trump have done if he retained the presidency and lost congress? That's also been pretty common over the last few decades if I'm mistaken, a president with one or both sides of Congress is reelected but Congress flips to the opposition party.

> But what would trump have done if he retained the presidency and lost congress? Trump is blaming Biden for the obvious outcome of Trump's tarrif nonsense. What do you think Trump would have done?

You have to be fair though, politicians always blame someone else and its usually the last person that was in charge.

How often do you hear any one politician claim the glory of a situation that they had nothing to do with? And when was the last time you actually heard a politician own their failing or apologize?

Post reply on HN