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Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

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Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#241

Post by sigzero »

undecisive wrote: post #204
AlexB138 wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The answer is to outlaw lobbyists, it would fix a lot of problems. That, and enact term limits for Congress. That will fix even more. When you think there are simple answers to big problems it's generally because you don't actually understand the problem. How would you outlaw lobbyists? Setting aside the fact that it would be unconstitutional, do you think it should be illegal for you to air your grievances to elec…

Aside from the fact that many countries have ways of limiting lobbyist influence through law, a simple but dramatic way would be to say: 0. Lobbying is a right, but one that can only be exercised by individual citizens, not corporations. 1. Anyone who wishes to "lobby" congressional candidates or congresspersons must register their financial interests 2. Make it illegal to directly accept money for lobbying services…

So a Union could not lobby then in your world.

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#242

Post by SilasX »

rayiner wrote: post #75
onion2k wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I spend a few million to get some lawyers to work out a legal loophole that means I can murder someone and get away with it that wouldn't make it OK to actually do it. The same applies to tax avoidance. It might be legal but it's still wrong .

If it's due to carryover losses, which is usually what this sort of rage bait boils down to, it's not only "legal" but "not wrong." Carryover losses are the mathematical byproduct of a tax system that taxes gains in wealth ( i.e. income) but must be sampled annually. It would be completely brain damaged to treat two companies differently that make the same total profit over a fixed period depending merely on the patt…

Agreed, but, in fairness, the personal income tax contains exactly this brain damage.

If I make $100k in one year and then $10k the next, I pay 19% of it in income taxes, even though I averaged $55k/year which should mean paying 14.6% of it in taxes.

(Using figures for a single filer from the 2019 brackets; assuming away the person deduction for simplicity.) https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/taxes/federal-income-tax-bra...

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#244

Post by throwawaymath »

smokeyj wrote: post #229
AlexB138 wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The answer is to outlaw lobbyists, it would fix a lot of problems. That, and enact term limits for Congress. That will fix even more. When you think there are simple answers to big problems it's generally because you don't actually understand the problem. How would you outlaw lobbyists? Setting aside the fact that it would be unconstitutional, do you think it should be illegal for you to air your grievances to elec…

> When you think there are simple answers to big problems it's generally because you don't actually understand the problem. Or it's pretty obvious and some people are intentionally dense. For example, why are people still being imprisoned for possessing a harmless plant like marijuana? Colorado showed some "complex issues best left to the adults" are a societal level fabrication rooted in ignorance and fear. People w…

> Or it's pretty obvious and some people are intentionally dense.

It doesn't seem at all obvious to me how you would outlaw lobbying - in general or by specific types of companies. Do you think I'm being intentionally dense?

Maybe most large problems aren't actually trivial, and the reason they don't get solved by message board suggestions is because those suggestions wouldn't work. Just a thought.

If you disagree, why don't you walk me through your proposal in a less handwavey manner. The devil is in the details - surely you can agree that there are a variety of challenges at each step of the way?

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#245

Post by lurker458 »

chanandler_bong wrote: post #79
otachack wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not that simple. Companies lobby to keep, even coerce, laws that benefit them and allow these sorts of things to happen. What is the common person, or collection of persons, supposed to do when they are against that kind of force? I believe one way is to actually be involved in politics and get into the seats that govern and make the laws. But it's easier said than done.

The answer is to outlaw lobbyists, it would fix a lot of problems. That, and enact term limits for Congress. That will fix even more.

Don't outlaw lobbyists, outlaw accepting handouts of any form during, after or shortly before being in the senate or congress. They are already compensated for this by getting a generous retirement package.

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#246

Post by ivalm »

airstrike wrote: post #209
joefourier wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gross income isn't taxed, but profits are. However, I do agree that the annual basis of corporate taxation creates odd incentives - if on December 31st a company finishes the year with $10 million in cash, and on January 1st they spend $9 million, they will still pay tax on the $10 million, while if they spent it just a few hours before, they would have just paid tax on $1 million . Estonia's corporate tax system see…

That's not how this works. You pay taxes on what you earn, not on your cash balance. The company will always pay taxes on the $10 million, regardless of when it spends the $9. Also GAAP taxes are different from cash taxes paid to the IRS.

Business expenses are deductible. For example, if you are a reseller, you can spend before the end of the year to increase your inventory (and decrease your profits for that year).

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#247

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

AlexB138 wrote: post #162
chanandler_bong wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The answer is to outlaw lobbyists, it would fix a lot of problems. That, and enact term limits for Congress. That will fix even more.

> The answer is to outlaw lobbyists, it would fix a lot of problems. That, and enact term limits for Congress. That will fix even more. When you think there are simple answers to big problems it's generally because you don't actually understand the problem. How would you outlaw lobbyists? Setting aside the fact that it would be unconstitutional, do you think it should be illegal for you to air your grievances to elec…

Just outlaw legislation written by lobbyists. If Congressmen have to do the actual work of writing, it would end up being simpler than the specially crafted 500pg bills nobody reads. It isn't too much to ask elected officials to do the work they signed up for.

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#248

Post by anth_anm »

jki275 wrote: post #193
curiousgal wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> unconstitutional God forbid we think outside the realm of what the Founding Fathers wrote down. > fly directly in the face of democracy Except the U.S. has long been classified as a flawed democracy. The problems you list can "simply" be solved with a comission akin to the FTC. A small business can complain to said comission which would solve the matter.

The US isn't a "flawed democracy", it's intentionally not a democracy.

The US is a democracy. It's not a direct democracy. it's flawed because the system is outdated and broken.

It was a system designed to consolidate power among white landowners and to be extremely difficult to change. It's not a surprise it's got issues.

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#249

Post by brianpgordon »

stale2002 wrote: post #228
undecisive wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aside from the fact that many countries have ways of limiting lobbyist influence through law, a simple but dramatic way would be to say: 0. Lobbying is a right, but one that can only be exercised by individual citizens, not corporations. 1. Anyone who wishes to "lobby" congressional candidates or congresspersons must register their financial interests 2. Make it illegal to directly accept money for lobbying services…

> 0. Lobbying is a right, but one that can only be exercised by individual citizens, not corporations. A "corporation" isn't a thing that exists in the world. They don't have mouths, and can't speak, so it makes no sense to outlaw their ability to use the mouth that they don't have. There are people in the world. As well as groups of people. A corporation is merely the pural of person. Each person in that corporation…

This argument is facile. There's an obvious and clear difference between a person representing their own interests and a person paid by a corporation specifically to advance its interests.

Re: Netflix Posted Biggest-Ever Profit in 2018 and Paid $0 in Income Taxes

#250

Post by macspoofing »

jayko wrote: post #135
shawnz wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Anyone mad at a company for not pay taxes is misdirecting their anger. Companies follow the law. If you don't like the law elect different politicians. Don't get mad at companies that follow the law. Agreed. Are they supposed to purposely waste their shareholders money to take a moral stance against tax avoidance? When it's something that any corporation can do, then they have no choice but to do it to stay competi…

Regulators don't care about stopping it, they only care about lining up their pockets. You have a corrupt agent and then you expect another corrupt agent to do you justice.

You have evidence of Netflix paying-off corrupt IRS agent, right?
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